Jack and The Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk has been a popular panto this year. I’m not sure why, but I have noticed before that these things come in waves. However, this was a very different “Jack”, written by local playwright Kei Bailey. I’m not sure how many pantos Kei has written and published, but I have noticed that they are being performed more widely recently.

This in fact is Kei’s second version of Jack and the Beanstalk, and he wrote in the foreword that he had taken some of his original ideas from 2012 and developed them. He has taken the traditional Jack and the Beanstalk story and updated it by imagining how a chatty news programme (Think: Good Morning with Schofield and Willoughby) might react to the story both in front of and behind the camera.

Cue lots of laughs and corny jokes as Dan Poulson and Laura Griffin (as the apparently genial programme hosts who are all lovey-dovey but hate each other when the cameras are switched off) read the news items. Colette Buchanan-Gray as the nasty TV executive and Bernie Bragmore (a bumbling TV director, played by Godfrey Barlow) proved effective foils. I particularly enjoyed Colette’s rendition of Defying Gravity; and Kelly Anderson’s playing of the enthusiastic roving reporter was impressive for its energy. Kei appeared as the pantomime dame, Tallulah Trott, in a series of outrageous costumes, and had the audience in stitches with his witty asides and facial expressions- and may I say what a fine pair of legs he has! His two very different sons, Jack and Simple Simon, were played well by Kim Sands and Aaron Pettican, and Aaron soon developed a good rapport with his audience. Amy Ash played Jack’s love interest, Jill, and looked particularly forlorn while locked in a cage waiting to be married to Fleshcreep.

My favorite character was Trainee Fairy Rosy Glow, played by Jo Warrick (who also directed the panto). Rosy’s character stumbled her way through the plot, stalking Jack Trott apparently, with just one spell available to her to change his life for the better, which she did by accident! A brilliant plot twist. Jo’s husband Julian played the evil Fleshcreep, with a Norfolk accent - different from the last time I saw him playing the suave con-man in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in Boston. Julian never fails to impress, as a relative latecomer to the amateur dramatic scene, with his versatility.

Minor characters were covered well with Callum Thomas very funny as the hen that laid the golden egg, Jenni Chamberlain as a particularly disgusting Cook and Sue Porter as the castle chambermaid.
Callum Thursby (the stage manager) played a cockroach! Sergeant Cockroach leads the insects in the castle from one pile of excrement to another. - a hilarious twist.

Sue Fletcher and Hannah Priestley played Daisy the cow – and I was glad not to see the tired old gag of the cow producing cartons of milk from her udder. The giant’s voice was prerecorded terrifyingly by Keith Baggley, and the chorus of children who played villagers / insects, danced well. Obviously, village hall productions have their limitations, but Heckington Players have worked hard over the years to buy equipment and develop ways to overcome this, and the show was colourful, well-lit with good sound management, good sound effects, and very effective use of a small stage. Of particular note were the excellent costumes and the very well-painted backdrops. Overall a production to be proud of, and all conceived, written, rehearsed and performed in the local area.

Well done, Kei and Jo.

 

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