Shubshri Kandiah breezes into the theatre just minutes before call time, already in the zone and ready to pop on her spectacles, pick up a book and step into the heels of Belle.
Brendan Xavier, the Beast, on the other hand, has been tucked away in his dressing room — his sanctuary — for an hour and a half, winding down and warming up.
She likes the heat, he prefers the cold. The duo disagree on music, movies, theatre shows, the latest bingeable series, show prep and the weather.
They say opposites attract, and two people with opposing opinions coming together to ignite an unexpected spark is nothing new. If anything, it’s a tale as old as time.
Despite their differences, though, on stage the stars of Beauty And The Beast have found a rhythm that harmonises their contrasts thanks to a combination of trust, professionalism and a little theatre magic.
“He (Xavier) said to me yesterday — I’ve never met somebody so the opposite to me,” Kandiah laughs while having her make-up done ahead of a special shoot with STM.
“We’re really different, but in the time that we’ve spent working together we’ve found a really beautiful balance and friendship and we work really well together. I’m really proud of what we’ve created, especially on stage, and the chemistry we have.”
Xavier echoes the sentiment, pointing to their easy rapport and Kandiah’s talent as the foundation to their on-stage sizzle.
“Shub is an amazing actor, and if you work alongside an amazing actor you rise to that level. All you have to do is listen to what they’re giving you in order to respond,” he says of his co-star.
“We learnt each other’s boundaries quite early on and are really respectful of each other’s space, we don’t really pry too much . . . we can just sort of exist together and there’s a huge comfortability.
“Sometimes people feel the need to fill the silence but I think me and Shub are just very comfortable around each other. We both work in a similar way, act in a similar way and we both respond to the same sort of thing on stage.”
Off-stage too there is an equal ease to their interactions during the shoot at Crown Perth’s Crystal Club. Place a hand on his shoulder? Easy. Look lovingly into each other’s eyes? Of course. Laugh on cue? Too easy.
The two have built the kind of effortless friendship that can only come from mutual respect and professionalism, not to mention the hundreds of hours spent in each other’s company following over 700 shows performed together across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and soon Perth.
It’s this point — the massive slice of time spent away from home in Perth — that has Kandiah tearing up for a moment, raw emotion showing on her face as tears are expertly concealed by the make-up artist.
“I think sometimes touring, it can feel like ‘wow that’s incredible’ but it’s one of the hardest bits,” she says. “I’m so sorry, I get emotional talking about it, but you’re not at home with your partner or your family . . . you’re missing parts of your own life because you’re on tour.”
So to say that it’s special for Kandiah to bring the show to Western Australia is an understatement. Perth is home, it’s where she did Indian dance lessons, where she learnt to sing and do ballet, it’s where her love for performing on stage was born.
There was a period that a career in theatre didn’t quite feel in Kandiah’s grasp. After graduating from high school, she began a teaching degree as well as a certificate in musical theatre at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), where she ultimately wasn’t accepted to study.
Instead, she attended Queensland Conservatorium, pushed aside teaching, and focused on a bachelor of musical theatre. The move paid off — her first role out of school was Princess Jasmine in Disney’s stage show of Aladdin.
Kandiah is now somewhat of a Disney aficionado, with Belle her third female lead, having also played Cinderella. Having grown up rarely seeing people of colour on the screen or stage, stepping into these iconic roles is deeply significant for the 30-year-old.
“It’s always really beautiful to be able to see yourself represented in any kind of way,” she says. “It’s special to me to be that for somebody who comes to the theatre who has never seen a person of colour on stage.”
While this is Xavier’s first Disney prince, he’s no stranger to a leading man role, playing Kristoff in Frozen The Musical.
The part of the Beast, though, it could be argued, is one of the most complex and difficult roles in Disney’s back catalogue. He’s neither completely steely-edged villain or wholeheartedly a loveable hero, instead a character that must balance ferocity and vulnerability all while taking viewers on a believable journey from egotistical prince to frightening villain to changed man worthy of Belle’s love.
“The Beast is aggressive and angry wmore traditionally Disney villains are charismatic, charming and funny,” Xavier explains. “You know, everyone loves Gaston, Scar or Ursula because they have that charm and they’re not outwardly aggressive characters — the Beast is. But everyone can see through it because it’s a front . . . I find it really interesting how the different characters are shown in the show, everyone is very nuanced and dynamic.”
Xavier took time to navigate the role, gradually building confidence in his own interpretation of the Beast.
“It took me a while to be comfortable in the room and to be emotional — I felt so vulnerable,” he explains.
“We sort of get thrown into this room and we have to be in front of everyone while we’re still trying to find the character. We’re still trying to play and experiment, especially with the Beast, he’s yelling a lot and trying to be scary. I think that was daunting to do in front of people.”
It wasn’t until the cast began rehearsing in the theatre and Xavier donned the costume and prosthetics for the first time that everything clicked and he felt ready.
“When you’re in the moment on stage and you’re surrendering to that character, you do find that emotion,” he says. “It’s more out of frustration than just anger, because anger is a secondary emotion; anger comes out of sadness or guilt or frustration or shame.
“So it was fun to play those different sorts of colours, and I do change them a lot.”
Beyond the character transformations, it’s the layers that make up Beauty And The Beast that have seen its story stand the test of time. It’s the enduring message that beauty lies within and not to judge a book by the cover, the vibrancy of its walking, talking and singing characters stuck in the form of household items and, of course, the vibrant yellow ball dress.
And, like many beloved fairytales, it’s the love story that draws you in. The first inkling of this remains Kandiah’s most memorable moment in the show.
“There is one scene I love, and I love performing it every single day: it’s the scene in the library where the Beast has been finding the same love of books that Belle has and it’s this really beautiful moment of connection,” she says.
“Then he pulls away again because he realises he’s this hideous beast, but Belle kind of reaches out and they have this really beautiful moment of connection in realising they’re both kind of the same — I just love that moment in the show.”
For the audience — which Perth will experience come July 24 when the show opens at Crown Theatre — it’s the first time they see little Chip that never fails to get a reaction.
“I think it’s one of the things that Disney does best, the magic of the show,” Kandiah says. “I love leaving the theatre and hearing people wonder how they made that work.”
And if it’s not the tiny voice of Chip grabbing your attention, it will be the ensemble of newcomers and veterans, the songs you didn’t realise you still remember all of the lyrics to, the 10-minute long dance numbers that bring to life every inch of the stage, and the spectacular costumes.
Disney’s Academy Award-winning Beauty And The Beast film was released in 1991, with the musical following in 1994 where it played on Broadway for more than 13 years. There are original members on the creative team who returned to reimagine the Australian performance, including director and choreographer Matt West, composer Alan Menken and writer Linda Woolverton.
Even 34 years after the animated film was released, it still casts a spell in the hearts of many — young and old.
“I met a lady at the stage door in Melbourne who said she brought her daughter to the show there 30 years ago and now she was back with her daughter and her daughter’s daughter. Being part of something special like that, to be part of their memory as a family, was really nice to hear,” says Kandiah.