BEAUTY and the Beast? Perhaps we should be thankful that the incomparable Disney production running at the Edinburgh Playhouse hasn’t been forced into a name change.

Given that beleaguered author Sebastian Faulks has woke surrendered to the argument that physical descriptions of female characters should be absent from his latest novel, there was always the worry that B & T B producers would impose a neutral-toned title.

Yet, ‘A Female of Indeterminate Attractiveness and the Bloke with A Face That’s as Ugly as The End of Universal Credit’ doesn’t trip of the tongue so easily.

And of course, Beauty has to be attractive. Just as Beast has to be unattractive. The whole point of the love story is to remind us that we need to judge people from the inside out.

That’s not to say B&TB doesn’t suffer a little from the passage of time and changing social mores. You remember how the story runs; the mean, judgemental prince falls foul of an old beggar woman who she curses him with Halloween looks.

In a great huff, Beast then locks up Belle’s poor dad, which compels his daughter to live in the prince’s castle and, in an era of lockdown and virtual imprisonment in our own homes, this section of the storyline will no doubt resonate.

But rather than learn to bake banana bread, binge on Netflix and get all hot and bothered while watching Joe Wicks, Belle sets about the task of reintegrating old fur face back into society. And during this process, she falls for him. This could be down to Stockholm Syndrome; however Disney doesn’t dwell on this possibility. But that’s not overly important.

What’s key is that audiences love the story and the songs, written by the classic Disney duo of Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. And this modern update (a headpiece allows us to see part of Beast’s face) makes the utmost use of technology to offer up tap-dancing backflipping candlesticks, can-can girls, pink spoons fashioned into hats, the Eiffel Tower on dresses, giant feathers and giant plates.

There’s also a scene which can only be described as synchronised swimming out of the water.

What’s also important is that while Beast is a complicated man, (albeit with obvious sociopathic tendencies) we learn Belle isn’t fully formed either. She’s beautiful of course, and we are allowed to say that, but she’s also overly bookish and a complicated young woman.

Aren’t all of us trying to work out our direction in life?

This is a lovely, timeless, allegorical tale which reminds that if you’re beastly, that’s the way you’ll end up. It’s a show with wonderful songs. And it loves the dancing more than Michael Gove.

And in a week when we learn the tragic news that Kylie is heading back to Oz for good, that Katie from Corrie has revealed three left feet to the Strictly world – isn’t this a perfect time to book your tickets to Disneyland in Edinburgh?

Beauty and the Beast, the Edinburgh Playhouse, October 21-November 27.