Disney delays UK tour of Beauty and the Beast
Disney has delayed the upcoming UK tour of Beauty and the Beast.
The production had been due to open at Leicester Curve on 25 May before visiting the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin. It will instead open at the Bristol Hippodrome on 25 August.
A statement on the production's website reads: Whilst we cannot wait to bring our new production of Beauty and the Beast to theatres around the UK and Ireland, working with the information we have available, it is with sadness that we have to delay the opening of the tour.
"We understand the disappointment this will cause, but the health and wellbeing of our audiences, cast, crew and theatre staff have to remain paramount as we make plans to bring our shows back to the stage."
Beauty and the Beast has music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, and is based on the award-winning animated film of the same name. The piece follows a young woman who stumbles upon a petulant prince cursed to resemble a beast unless he can find true love.
The Olivier Award-winning musical had its UK premiere at the Dominion Theatre in 1997, while the show's Broadway run lasted from 1994 to 2007 (the tenth-longest running production in Broadway history).
New dates for Dublin have been announced for November 2022. The Curve dates have not been rescheduled, and ticket-holders are advised to contact their point of purchase.
