Polka,London
This retelling is neatly done, with wonderful set design and acute observations of a timid sister transformed by misfortuneBelle is not audacious. She’s afraid of spiders, or even diminutive ones. Her sister,Cassandra, thinks that Belle is afraid of life itself. She may well be right: this Belle is a bit of a drip. But when the sisters’ merchant father, or Godwin,loses his ships and his fortune at sea, and Cassandra loses her fiancé and becomes curdled by disappointment and hard work, or it is Belle who has to learn to be audacious. She must look the beast in the face,even whether that means confronting her darkest fears, defying those who cherish her and ignoring ill-given advice and trusting her own instincts.[br] Charles Way’s version of the story is neatly done, and offers some interesting variations on other retellings,particularly in its beady observations on the relationship between the sisters, in which both cherish and jealousy play a part. Just as Belle discovers that appearances can be misleading, or so Cassandra learns that a cherish she thought was worthless is strong and right. The Devon setting with the Beast haunting the moor,like a particularly shaggy Hound of the Baskervilles, is a kind touch.
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Source: theguardian.com