Jack and the Beanstalk

Written by Tuesday Williams, a name not known to me, this is a joyous traditional panto with stock characters, set piece staging and plenty of double entendres to keep the adults amused while the kiddies love the shouting and bright colours.  It was a bold decision to allow two novices to direct it and choreograph it but, with years of experience and many shows behind them, they were on top of the task.

It was fun to see a beanstalk of large green leaves winding its way up the staircase to the auditorium, as an intro to the show.  The closed tabs provided a screen for the projection of the title logo - a little out of focus, I thought.  This changed to a revolving gobo as the overture played; the experienced five-piece band being hidden from our sight but sitting above the SR wings from where the MD could keep an eye on the action.

True to form the good fairy, Fairy Juniper, opened the show, drawn onto the stage through the DR portal by two tiny helpers.  Speaking in rhyming couplets while looking enchanting and having great stage presence, she was shortly joined by the bad fairy, Fairy Nightshade, properly from DL.  With a gravelly voice like thunder he towered over his adversary instantly making a strong impression of evil.  With contrasting pink and green spots, here was a classic panto opening, the two ‘sides’ established, the story outlined and the audience given the go-ahead to enjoy the next couple of hours.

The Set was a simple split-level, the upper reached by central steps, and with three flats each side.  Framed by two robust trees the cyc was undecorated to allow lighting changes for the differing scenes but had a ground row of roof tops as befits the village setting, with a distant view of the castle.  The flats depicted a cloudy sky and were adapted in village scenes with a ground row of grass thus giving the whole a light and airy look, if maybe a little empty or unfinished, but which, without doubt, provided a versatile backing that avoided the long scene changes that different flats and backdrops can tend to do.  This basic structure with minimal switches, served as the village, supplemented initially with a market stall and later with a useful truck that opened out like a book to become Dame Trott’s ‘Wendy house’ cottage with functional door so that both inside and outside were usable spaces. With the brickwork steps of the village scene altered to a pile of giant-sized books and the additions of an enormous table surmounted by gigantic vegetables, and a golden harp on the upper level we were in the Giant’s Kitchen.  It was a very economical and attractive design. Smaller pieces included Dame Trott’s wheeled milkshake stall and the Amazon box for Rosie’s hidden appearance.  At times to cover scene changes well painted front cloths of rustic fields and woodland or cloudy sky were paged across.  The whole gave a practicable expanse that could be varied swiftly with no hold ups in the action.  The dramatic beanstalk that filled the centre stage area was inflated quickly (and silently) and produced a noteworthy effect.

Lighting and sound, can go to town in panto with a dazzle of colours and fun sound effects and we were treated to limes effectively supporting Good and Bad with contrasting pink and green gels - they are a luxury few local societies seem to use.  The cyc was lit with a succession of bright colours to suit the scene and the action being portrayed, and the use of a moving leaf gobo on the beanstalk gave the impression it was still growing while the addition of a puff of dry ice/smoke anticipated its growth into the clouds.  The whirling of lights on the audience during Loathing was very worthwhile in engaging us with the moral battle. Sound effects were well timed, including the comic playing of the Strictly… theme tune.  In general I felt an imbalance between music and vocals distracted from the singing.  Do instruments need to be amplified?  I understand that they can each be balanced against the others more accurately but at some point in the system it should be possible for the volume of the resultant mixed-music to be lowered so as not to drown out the lyrics, and without having to increase the volume of the singers.  You are not alone  - I wrote, “’twas ever thus”!  With long experience of high quality musicals behind the society we could expect the singing to be good.  Strong leads presented tunefully, energetically and with real feeling, and chorus numbers were rousing with songs from a variety of sources selected rather craftily to fit the moment.  Special mention to the young man who sang the solo lines in Who Will Buy… It was a deep joy to hear his clear articulation of every word clear as a bell; what we should all be aspiring to.  Clever counter melody as One Way Or Another blended with Teenage Kicks effectively.  

Panto props are frequently of exaggerated size quite properly for comic effect and so the overgrown piggy bank served the purpose well.  Of more natural dimensions Dame Trott’s milkshake-making paraphernalia and abacus nevertheless fitted the bill.  Fairy Juniper’s pretty flowery wand and Nightshade’s staff, villagers’ baskets of flowers and fruit, Lesley’s monocle, the leather purse of beans, all realistic, contrasted with the comedy to be gained from Billy’s and Tilly’s procession of jumbo work tools.  The King’s throne on a wheeled platform worked well for the entrance of this somnolent monarch and, since I don’t remember a reference in the script to this particular characteristic of his majesty, I wondered if it was devised by the actor or production team - if so, bright idea!  Be-robed teddy was a mini delight.  The swiftly improvised skiffle band utilising household washboard and broom was clever, with the large milk churn supporting the family business.

Anything I say about Costumes has to start and finish with the extensive and outrageous wardrobe of Dame Trott.  I cannot possibly list them all, indeed I didn’t get as far as even counting them all.  Suffice to say that they were utterly magnificent!  Congratulations to her dresser who must have been constantly on the go and who, as far as I could see, never missed a trick with every entrance on time despite what seemed like a complete re-dressing from top to toe in the blink of an eye.  Fairy Juniper was prettily clad as a traditional fairy in flower-adorned pastel chiffon, which made a sharp contrast with the heavy black and green of Fairy Nightshade, whose massive build-up boots and ivy-clad staff topped with what looked like a monstrous hairy spider gave him a gloriously threatening stature personifying the archetypal panto villain.  Billy and Tilly dressed perfectly as the comedy duo in matching dungarees in bold and bright solid colours.  This worked so well (one wonders why some productions try to be ‘different’) and their guises as workmen in different professions were splendidly indicated by minimal quintessential and amusing add-ons.  Jack’s outfit of red hero shirt, laced leaf-embossed jerkin and boots set him apart (and didn’t he look butch in the muscle pinny?) and Leslie presented the countrified landlord to a T in tweed plus-fours, jacket and deerstalker.  Rosie and Poppy (names keeping to the flowery theme there - clever) matched as Principal Girl and her Bestie in full A-line skirts and frogged and laced bodices.  Underpinning the King’s sleepy characteristic it was fitting that he was supported by a page in nightshirt and cap and was himself in regal night attire, with boldly striped silk pyjamas and a plush quilted smoking jacket - plus crown! …lovely.  Mrs Mopp was almost hidden under her oversized bonnet and floor mop wig and her chatelaine held a variety of purposeful and comical attachments.  It was picturesque to dress the Harp in gold lame so he blended into the King’s stolen instrument of stately splendour.  Daisy was a most attractive and endearing cow, the skin being worn artfully so that her personality came through. I’d have liked her to have a new scarf for the blue-themed finale!  The various ensemble scenes were costumed appropriately with village dresses (incongruous to see modern flat caps, but a novel gimmick to hold disparate outfits together), or the uniformity of the Giant’s household staff in various blue shades and patterns, and the dancers had a series of glamorous dresses including black Spanish with masks and the eye-catching Charleston fringed bugle drops with red gloves.  But as I said, the Dame has to finish this consideration of your panto’s Costumes set.  The opening frock of yards of cow-printed cotton nipped into a laced waspie and surmounted by a cow sitting in a green feathery field was only the start of it!  So wonderfully Dame.  Subsequent entrances, that seemed to get closer and closer, brought a gasp as a succession of unbelievable outfits passed by with barely the time to appreciate the work that had gone into making them - a ludicrous ice cream milkshake stood out but many of the frocks were comparatively ‘normal’ until that amazing showgirl cascading feather boa plume that was surely the pièce de résistance.  The panoply of attire Wardrobe accumulated for the large cast was hugely influential in marking the success of this panto.

Make up for the majority of the cast was straightforward ‘musical comedy’ normal but Nightshade needed a bit of help to look darkly evil with some heavy eye make up and, of course, Dame Trott used a Boots-worth of lipstick and eyeshadow, looking frighteningly pretty in the process with Cupid’s bow lips and arched eyebrows.  She was not the only one to wear wigs, Billy and Tilly in hairdresser mode, and the various blues and styles of the Household Staff provided a striking ensemble, but one that didn’t quite eclipse the blonde ringlets, the orange bob, the blue curls, or the red Baroque (and any I’ve missed.) 

How fortunate you were, as Choreographers, to have a cast with experience of movement on stage and the ability to pick up and perform the moves you set.  It is not always the case, particularly with smaller village pantos where the performers are only on stage once a year.   A majority who know what they’re doing can draw the rest along and here we saw company sequences performed uniformly with energy and conviction.  Your own years of performing in shows gave you a wide repertoire from which to draw inspiration.  The opening number 9 to 5 provided a lively start and you were able to introduce comedy into the bows and curtsies for the King’s arrival. Unusual quirky hop steps in Beautiful Day and effective use of canon and a more aggressive style in Mama Told Me… The moves you set for Daisy were performed very well considering her feet can’t see where they’re going!  It’s a skill to move groups around well so that the stage never seemed over crowded but you achieved it.

You will, no doubt, be evaluating your own performance as Directors but have many reasons to be proud of your achievement.  You started with a good solid script that had plenty of opportunity to be creative.  Your movement of the cast around the stage was impressive with natural groupings that balanced the working space.  The management of the set pieces was handled well starting with a winning “Don’t touch the piggie”.  The slapstick of milking Daisy is not an easy one to pull off - but kicking the stool and the falls all looked well rehearsed.  I trust your cast had plenty of time working with the props before show week so the slosh of making the milkshakes seemed slick and the dialogue kept up the pace.  Late props can ruin a scene like that.  There were some very naughty double entendres delivered with perfect straight faces and greatly appreciated.  The swift clear-up of any mess was slick.  You found an imposing Beanstalk to play the leading role but I was a little disappointed that Jack made no attempt to start a climb up it - a ladder or even a stool  behind it so he could put one foot up?  …but your choice of Defying Gravity was apt as were many of the songs you had selected (or were identified in the script?)  There were some imaginative little stories being acted out at the portals by the minions dusting as they eavesdropped on Jack’s conversation with Mrs Mopp.  You found a slightly new take on the set piece “He’s Behind You” although the punchline had to be the traditional!  The “Chase” crossover (and over, and over) was a busy few minutes for the dressers and if there were moments when the pace dropped it is hardly surprising given the number of costume changes going on.

 I had a most entertaining evening in your company watching a very smooth-running and polished production that was well worth the drive to Helston - as ever.  My thanks go to the front of house who looked after me on my arrival and in the interval, and to everyone connected with the performance whether on the boards or backstage.  You succeeded in creating a magical memory.

 

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