Jack and the Beanstalk

What a fun pantomime this was, with real community spirit. The set was very well put together with some nicely painted flats and cloths but most impressive of all was the superb beanstalk that could be climbed.  Lighting was effective and sound well balanced. Costumes too were excellent with lots of changes and some lovely bright colours. The script was strong with plenty of jokes and a very clever twist to make the giant’s land a bright and happy sweetie emporium, complete with giant lollipops and cookies. The colourful jester guided us through the land with plenty of riddles to solve and tricks such as juggling which was delightful.

Dame Trixie Trott quickly captured the audience’s attention and engaged well with them throughout with lots of asides and cheeky comments to keep them entertained, particularly the adults.

Both Jack and Jill gave confident performances and proved to be very good singers and dancers.  Likewise, Buttercup the Cow was very endearing and moved well. The Mayor provided a kindly father figure and delivered his dialogue well.

The comedy duo were the giant’s henchmen, Snatchit and Scarper, who made the most of their time in the spotlight with performances of real energy, character and wit.  They played well to the audience and there was enjoyable banter whenever Scarper left her suitcase behind on stage. Their ‘boss’ Baroness Blunderbore was suitably villainous all in black, spitting out her dialogue with considerable relish and provoking much ‘hiss’ and ‘boo’ whenever she entered or exited the stage.  The Giant, although never in sight, had an appropriately thunderous voice and his young daughter, Belinda, delivered her lines with confidence and clarity.

Most of the dancing was provided by Curtis School of Dance and they were well rehearsed and very engaging dancers. There were lots of different styles of dance, including a very good tap routine, and all performed with skill and precision.

The chorus were well used and it was lovely to see such a mix of young and old on stage who were clearly having lots of fun. They performed with enthusiasm, reacted well and really enhanced the principal scenes.

Direction was very good with obvious great care taken to include all the elements that make a memorable pantomime – the slapstick wallpapering scene with Jack and his mum was extremely well planned and choreographed. The audience reaction was testament to the quality of the writing and performances. This was a traditional pantomime with community at its heart, which made it all the more enjoyable.

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