Beauty and the Beast (RSC stage version)

A magical re-telling of the story of Beauty and the Beast, first performed in this version by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

When Beauty's father hears that his long-lost ship packed with pearls has landed safely in harbour, he sets out on a long, difficult journey to claim his fortune and rescue his family from poverty.

But when, stumbling across a magic world belonging to a fearsome beast, he picks a rose as a present for his favourite daughter, the family find themselves in a nightmarish predicament from which only Beauty can rescue them...

This timeless tale of the true nature of beauty and the transformational power of love is brought to glorious life in Laurence Boswell's thrilling and inventive adaptation, which draws on the origins of the tale in French folklore, and is filled with music, dance and song.

Laurence Boswell's much-performed retelling of the classic fairytale was first performed at the Young Vic, London, in 1996. It was revived, in this revised version, by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2003.

Note for Performers: this enchanting play can be performed straight or with music by Mick Sands, drawn from traditional French folk melodies. The score is available separately from the text, and a perusal copy can be sent to you as a non-printable pdf document, free of charge. Please enquire about hire charges and licence fees. The quoted performing rights fee is for the play without the music.

A revised version of the script is available digitally for anyone considering a production - it can be sent as a non-printable pdf document, free of charge, for your perusal.

Also available: the earlier Young Vic version.

Extra Content: Laurence Boswell talks about writing and staging Beauty and the Beast in an interview for StageTalk TV here.