“My father lost me to the Beast at cards.”

Hailey Gillis’ opening line of Tiger Bride lets us know that this is not your average fairy tale. Based on Angela Carter’s “The Tiger’s Bride”, a gothic retelling of the classic “Beauty and the Beast” story, Tiger Bride is a dark, music-filled fantasy that’ll leave you breathless. Created by Gillis, Frank Cox-O’Connell (who also directs), and Andrew Penner, Tiger Bride is pure magic from start to finish.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful Russian girl who lived alone with her father. Her father liked to gamble, so much so that the once wealthy family had to flee their home because her father had lost just about everything. They travel from Russia to Italy in search of warmer weather and some solace, but unfortunately they find neither. For in the little provincial town in which they’ve settled, every newcomer must play cards with le Bestia, or the Beast. As the last thing her father posessed, the girl becomes his final bargaining chip. Her father suffers a crushing defeat to the Beast, and so the girl finds herself in a run-down villa where no other living thing dare reside. How will she escape? Will she ever see her father again? Does she even want to?

“Beauty and the Beast” was the first VHS my parents ever bought me, and Belle has been my favourite princess my whole life. I had always considered Belle to be one of the more progressive and headstrong of the Disney princesses: turning down Gaston’s advances, sacrificing herself in exchange for her father’s freedom, and choosing to try to understand the Beast rather than being afraid of him. But Carter’s female lead makes one decided choice that sets her far apart from her inspiration: she chooses not to see her father again. Unlike Belle who must rescue her father from Gaston and the other villagers, the girl isn’t concerned with what will happen to him. He’s already made it so that the family is destitute and had to leave their home country, and his gambling is unlikely to stop any time soon. This empowered and bold choice puts Carter’s female lead into a whole other echelon of feminist discourse from her predecessors. You truly get the sense that she is taking control of her own life in a way which releases her from anyone she doesn’t want to be tied to.

This change in the girl’s character is symbolized in not only the changing of her clothes, but the changing of her instrument. Initially, the girl doesn’t really have an instrument of her own, but when she leaves her father for the villa, she takes his guitar with her. When she finally succumbs to the Beast’s desires, she then dons his cloak and his black guitar. For a production which is helmed by such musical talent, this is a brilliant way to show the shifts in the characters and how their mindsets change throughout the piece.

Shannon Lea Doyle has created a mystical and eerie atmosphere for Tiger Bride. The set is full of surprises, with many moving parts and dramatic reveals. I loved the nod to Belle’s dress in the costume design for the girl; it’s immediately recognizable and brings a bit of our childhood into this far more adult adaptation. The Beast’s massive black fur cloak makes him a formidable figure on stage, while the valet’s vintage style outfit brings a dash of colour to his otherwise bleak surroundings. There were multiple times throughout the show where an image that was created or the arranging of the set made me audibly gasp in wonder.

Hailey Gillis has become one of my favourite performers to watch, and she certainly proves why with her performance in Tiger Bride. Her powerful voice rings through the theatre as her character undergoes the transformation from dutiful daughter to a fully realized woman. Andrew Penner plays both the Father and the Beast, a great role double combination as he then represents both versions of the girls imprisonment throughout her life. Penner is a force to be reckoned with on stage, bringing his deep passion for music and performance to life. Landon Doak’s Valet is sweet, though at times has a bit of a bite. Doak likewise gets to show their incredible musicality while also being a bright spot in the shadows of the villa.

Tiger Bride is an impressive example of masterful storytelling: they suck us in right from “Once upon a time…” and hold us captive, just like the girl, until the final devouring moments. Sensual, seductive, and sensational, Tiger Bride is not to be missed.

Tiger Bride runs in the Michael Young Theatre at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts until June 14. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.soulpepper.ca/performances/tigerbride

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Cover Photo: Hailey Gillis and Andrew Penner in Tiger Bride. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

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