Jack and the Beanstalk

Panto, that great British tradition, and Jack and the Beanstalk is of course a classic which everyone knows, yet every script is slightly different in the details, and each company will add their own touches. And the touches Ifield Barn have added make this so much better. The company have been beleaguered by illness sadly and there were three substitutions on this particular evening which did nothing to detract from the show and actually seemed to add to it: sometimes in the audience for a panto you wish for something to go wrong, as it makes it all so much funnier. The way they embraced little hitches with humour and sass is something many other companies could learn from. 

This was a super show that had all the classic ingredients that people love. The encouragement of the audience responses such as “it’s behind you” and “boo” and to participate loudly from all the cast were great. The ghost section where they removed someone each time was done really well, as was the audience falling for telling them to water the beanstalk so it would grow and as a result the audience got pelted with water pistol jets: super fun. The level of audience participation was super throughout, and the cast all handled it so well, including the sweets giveaways coming out into the audience. 

Costumes, wigs and makeup were super. Every time Dame Trot appeared she had a different wig on, which was a hilarious touch, as was nobody mentioning it. Her costumes quite frequently changed as well, although possibly not as often as the hair. The buns stuck onto Miss Moffat’s chef’s hat were lovely, as were all the costumes on everyone, including the props such as a super looking crown on the King. Never seeing the Giant, just hearing him, was the right choice to make us all fearful of his presence in good panto style. Daisy May the cow being one person instead of a two person worked really well, and the “moo moo” speak was such fun, including the board appearing with the words to Daisy’s version of Jingle Bells, which was a board filled with “moo” in each syllable placement: this was so funny. 

All the cast did so well, including the three going on instead of their compadres. And if it wasn’t for them having to hold bits of script, nobody would have been any the wiser. In fact Rebecca Walls didn’t have a visible script to stand in as Bo-Peep, and nobody would have known she wasn’t meant to play the role in the first place. Mason Schaack was a hoot as Dame Trot, commanding the stage and the audience with complete confidence and sass: a really lovely performance. The song additions were welcome as well, with the right energy for the show, and being old classics, most people in the audience will know them. The rest of the cast poking their heads out from behind the flats in perfect timing to add to the chorus in “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” was guffaw funny: done so well.  

The small scene featuring Last Year’s Fairy was potentially a show stealing moment: it was incredibly funny. The lyrics to the song are genius, and Christine Linden Smith standing in, paper in hand, delivered it all with such confusion yet sunny warmth it was both welcome, heart warming and belly laugh funny. You have to be able to laugh at yourself in a show like this and the whole cast had embraced that: it was wonderful. They also had a lovely set to play on, with working doors at the back for Miss Muffet’s shop and Dame Trot’s house. The set painters have done incredibly well, creating this world. The sound levels worked perfectly, the sounds, tracks, lighting and different set states worked really beautifully. Props had also been busy, with a great spider for Miss Muffet, great pies on a tray, and the Golden Harp was awesome. It really was a really super lovely panto, congratulations to everyone involved. 

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