Jack and the Beanstalk

I wonder how many in the audience saw this production nine years ago. I certainly did. I loved it then and I loved this version. It was an excellent pantomime appropriate for all ages, with a good balance between audience participation and story line. This certainly wasn’t an easy production to stage with 6 scenes in act one and a further ten scenes in act two. The set was well designed, built and painted by members of the cast and the scene changes were swift and silent which enabled the story line to maintain a good flow. I loved the ‘Land of Clouds’ and the ‘Giant's Kitchen’

All the costumes were beautiful. The chorus looked superb every time they came on stage especially in the village scene with their lovely check aprons and again in the Royal Ballroom scene. They were all so well made and colour co-ordinated. The dancing was of a high standard from a select few and the rest of the chorus, ranging in age from approximately 5 to 50, all had wonderful smiles on their faces, acted and sang with great enthusiasm and even remembered to look sad at the appropriate times.

My congratulations to the departments for sound, lighting and orchestration. The choice of songs was excellent, all the numbers being well known, and every word could be heard clearly. The lighting was ideal and the orchestra was great, playing these favourite numbers keeping the volume at exactly the right level. The sound effects for the ‘Giant’ accompanied by fantastic lights added hugely to the excitement of this invisible horror.

The opening of the show was most unusual with a taste of the excellent performances we could expect from the good fairy (Janet Webb) and the pantomime Villain (John Carroll). Much booing and hissing took place before scene one actually opened. Jack Trott (Ryan Richardson) and Jill (Rebecca Johnson) provided the ‘love element’ delightfully, both singing exceedingly well. Ryan also added to the comedy scenes supporting his mum, the dame (Jonathan Groves) and young sister Billy (Ellie Bennett). Ellie, at the age of only 13 years showed huge talent for one so young.  Add to this a shaking, quaking King (Mark Roberts), his clumsy servant (Barry Bastable) an enchanting cow (Melanie Bastable & Beverley Sorrell) and the giant of a voice (Carl Buckthorpe) and it is no surprise that this highly talented society can sell out tickets for their pantomimes every year.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.