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Jack and the Beanstalk

Author: Cheryl Marksford

Information

Date
6th December 2019
Society
Margate Operatic Society
Venue
Winter Gardens Margate
Type of Production
Pantomime
Director
Harcus Copper
Choreographer
Amy Simpson
Children's Choreographer
Lyndsey Hopper

Margate Operatic Society’s panto should come with a warning. And that warning should read “Your face will ache for at least two hours after the curtain comes down.”

Margate Operatic always come up with a crowd pleaser and this year’s Jack and the Beanstalk is no exception. Everyone in the audience would have suffered the same side effect – an aching face caused by smiling and laughing. This is down to everything in the show from excellent sets, stunning costumes, the incredibly funny script, the wonderfully energetic dance routines the perfect cast and of course, Jodie Hibbert Scobie as Jack Trott.

In previous years the cast has always had a good chemistry, but this year it seems to have stepped up a gear. Everyone has their moment and they all take it. Jodie Hibbert Scobie in the title role of Jack was spectacular. She was full of energy and had great rapport with the audience. She sang well and even showed her skills at rapping! Very impressive performance. Natasha Mcdonnell took on the role of Jill, Jack’s love interest, playing her with the right mix of girlish charm and exuberance. This pair complemented each other in their singing and acting and were a convincing couple. They were competing however with another character – Daisy the Cow.  Appearing at first in animal form (in the most awesome cow costume ever) Daisy manoeuvred around the stage causing much hilarity and joy from the audience. My congratulations go out to Jacqui Simpson and Sarah Hart as playing a believable skin character is not easy. Later in the script, with a little help from fairy magic, Daisy became human and was cheekily played by Sophie-Louise Williams. She oozed confidence which really suited her character.

Harcus Copper is like a fine wine, his dame gets better as the years go on. The costumes, the audience banter, the interaction with the other cast members – it’s all pitch perfect. If I’m being picky (and I suppose I am) I would just like to see the dame’s wigs and head pieces having the same attention to detail as the rest of the production.

As always here, there were some great supporting performances.  Julia Sanders and Mizz Sanders were a very funny comedy duo working alongside the talent of Drayson Goldfinch as Jill’s father Baron Waysland. None of these performers were worried about making fools of themselves at their own and each other’s expense, having the audience laughing at their antics and Drayson’s movement and facial expressions were on point. He certainly has the most comedic eyebrows in the business!

Neil Paterson was a daft but lively Gordon, Ian Cronin was a confident and charismatic Vultan and Alison Monroe got the most out of her role as the harp. Last but not least was Karen Martin as Dizzy Dizahstrous the Fairy Godmother.  She came across very well indeed and grew into her part as the performance went on. The whole cast play off each other brilliantly – there is not one weak link.

This was a fun and colourful production, the dance routines, especially the full company numbers were energetic, well-choreographed and well executed by the chorus and all in a company that stretched right across the age range which was a joy to see. The simple but effective set with the use of several beautiful cloths was most effective, The Giant’s Kitchen with Giant Chair and the cage that had many prisoners was brilliant.

This was a very successful and innovate production and the all cast and company, the crew, back stage and front of house should be very pleased with the result.

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