Tale as Old as Time
Middle School brings Beauty and the Beast to life
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR ran from 6 to 9 May as the second production in our College’s 2026 season. Few stories carry more audience expectations, but our Middle School cast delivered, right down to the final petal.
The tale needs little introduction. Belle, a Beast with a curse running out of time, and an enchanted household caught between hope and eternal inanimation. For director Ben Egan, the familiar story carried personal weight. “I have watched it since I was a child,” he said, “so as a return to directing, bringing it to life with our students has been a privilege.”
Leading the cast, Dia Patel-Kumar brought warmth and newfound confidence to Belle. She reflected, “I grew to be comfortable with the character and the people I was surrounded with.” Leading opposite her was Ayden Singh-Ali, who gave the Beast real weight in what he called his final and most unforgettable Middle School production. Rounding out the love-triangle was Kenneth Faatau Mantell, who leaned fully into Gaston’s oversized ego. “Bringing his cocky, villainous, and over-the-top personality to life has been an incredible experience.”
Manisi Menon was a standout Lumiere, delivering every line with a committed French accent. Pippa Ensor threw herself into the role from first audition to final curtain, giving Cogsworth real presence on stage. Ruby Roach described playing Mrs Potts as “joyful and heartwarming”, a role quite unlike anything she had taken on before. She concluded each night with a rendition of the title song that left the audience hanging on her every word.
Musical director Dr Matthew Leese steered students through early Monday morning rehearsals and what he described as, at times, a genuinely complex score. Producer Sara Standring noted that the cast’s “enthusiasm, commitment, and joy made this experience as special as the story itself.”
At its heart, Beauty and the Beast is about what lies beneath the surface. This cast held that sentiment close, and the audience felt it.
Year 9 student Manayah Peiris, a writer for the Howick Times, penned a feature on her experience in the production. Read part one on page 7 at issuu.com/times_e-editions/docs/eastern_times_june_4_2026
