Bristol Tobacco Factory Theatres Review: Beauty and The Beast
Summary
Rating: ★★★★
Running Dates: January 22nd - 24th 2026
Where to see it: Tobacco Factory Theatre
Duration: 1 hour 40 mins (including interval)
Photography by Paul Groom
Review
As far as North Somerset-based, two-person comedy theatre companies go, Living Spit have long cornered the market on shameless charm, boundless energy, and an impressive commitment to being extremely good-looking onstage. Naturally then, in their latest reworking of Beauty and the Beast, one of them must suffer the ultimate indignity: playing a hideous, foul-tempered beast. The question — teased mercilessly — is which one?
From the creators of Six Wives of Henry VIII, There’s Something About Typhoid Mary, and Frankenstein: The Musical, this version of the classic French fairytale is proudly Disney-defying, gleefully daft, and packed with monstrously musical chaos. It’s a fast, furious night of physical comedy, quick-fire character swaps, and songs that toe the line between parody and genuinely impressive showmanship.
Photography by Paul Groom
True to Living Spit form, the production thrives on invention rather than spectacle. With minimal props and maximum commitment, the duo fling themselves through servants, villagers, villains, and heroines at breakneck speed. The humour is broad, self-aware, and unashamedly silly, but beneath the jokes is a knowing wink at the story’s core question: what does it really mean to be “beautiful” and who gets to decide?
The Beast is gloriously grotesque, Beauty is anything but passive, and the gender-bending, fourth-wall-breaking energy keeps the audience firmly onboard throughout. Musical numbers land thick and fast, serving both the laughs and the storytelling without outstaying their welcome.
This Beauty and the Beast doesn’t aim for sentimentality; instead, it offers joyful irreverence, clever storytelling, and a reminder that fairy tales are far more fun when they’re poked, prodded, and occasionally drop-kicked into the modern day.
Standout Moment: The big Beast reveal
Similar Plays: Living Spit doing exactly what they do best.
Last Impression: Beauty fades, but committing fully to the bit is forever.
Review by Ella Hunter
Buy tickets from the Bristol Tobacco Factory Theatres website.