Jack and the Beanstalk

It was good to be back at The Spotlight for BTC’s pantomime – which started well, and continued in that vein throughout.

I particularly liked that the Director had made a decision not to have blackouts, therefore the whole show ran seamlessly, with the backcloths and staging being used well.  The stage at The Spotlight is a difficult one, and I understand that the decision to hire in scenery took into account the size of the stage, which meant that the stage was well-populated at all times.  I would have liked to have seen the Beanstalk on stage during Act 2, as it seemed to be under-used.  I am aware it would have affected the way the numbers were staged, but as it was central to the story it deserved more exposure!

Lighting was good, some imaginative plots, I liked the UV and strobe effects.  Sound was also good throughout.

Mostly costumes were suitable for the cast, and I particularly loved Edena’s green fairy dress, it was colourful but in tune with the character and the staff was ingenious.

The ensemble, dancers junior chorus and Jason Kids, all invested in the ethos of the pantomime, whether as villagers or Slimettes, with good choreography that was suitable for all abilities.  The ensemble reactions to the action was good, and they looked lively and interested.

The tap dancing cow was fun, adding much humour to the piece, the King, was executed with due majesty by Neil Lyons, whilst Trumpet, played by Charlie Green on the night I attended, was an asset in that he projected well and made the most of every opportunity that came his way!

Kate Sanders was a full-on Edena, a great portrayal, she sang Kiss from a Rose beautifully and the Jason Kids danced well.  Her counterpart, Slimeball, played by Andy Kirtley, was suitably slimey, although I would have liked to see him encourage more audience participation.

Hannah Frost played Jack Trot well, lovely voice and good swagger, with a nice relationship between her and Olivia Dyson as Princess Peaches, who also sang beautifully,  and gave us a lightness of touch to her portrayal.  Their duet had some lovely harmonies.

Daniel Goode was a bright Dame Trot, impressed by his ability to keep the falsetto going for so long – an interesting character.

Luke Ricketts played a straightforward Simple Simon, and got us involved with his audience repartee.

Ollie Pajak gave Giant Blunderbore a nice edge, whilst appearing almost human at times, with Alex Rolle, Fiona Taylor, Katharine Zopolo and Maisy Draper making the most of their parts as Goblins – well done. 

Overall a good production, I would have liked a little more humour, there were some good one liners, but sometimes these get a little lost, and audience participation was a little lacking at times with opportunities missed.

My thanks to BTC for their hospitality, always good to visit and be made so welcome.

Nova Horley

NODA Representative - NODA East District 3

NODA owns the intellectual Property Rights to the content of all show reports written by NODA Councillors, Reps and Assistant Reps

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.