Jack and the Beanstalk

A dramatic announcement made by a giant welcomed us to Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society’s latest production Jack and the Beanstalk by Rob Fearn and Leo Appleton. The script provided ample opportunity for local performers of all ages to be involved with their community theatre. They were supported by yet another full house, and at the matinee there were lots of young audience members ready to enjoy the show and sing and shout along with the fun.

Libby-Mae Eddy was confident and mature in her leading role of Jack. She carried the show from the very beginning and the audience warmed to her pleasing personality. Home life was shared with Poppie Thorpe as Simon and Peter Buller as Mother Betty Bitsnbobs. Peter is a very experienced player with thirty-seven years of experience in Pantoland and this showed as he handled the audience with consummate skill and encouraged children and their families to join in. He was also the director of this wholesome family show.

Jo Jefferson played the fairy and despite her tricky entrances through the audience, she remained unruffled and poised. Her arch enemy, the evil Squire Root was played effectively by Jerry Harvey who certainly had the right voice for this role. Add to this Joyce Liggins, who managed to convince as effectively half of a pantomime cow and you have the Act One team.

The script called for the active use of our imagination with a beanstalk, a giant we couldn’t see and a scene in the dark that wasn’t; but the children seemed to go along with the fiction and the Dame explained the situation in an amusing way. At the top of the beanstalk, we met Right Guard and On Guard played by Andy White and Paul McDermott. They entertained in small roles and I loved their knitted chain mail hats and natty costumes.

In the Giant’s Castle we met a second dame, the giant’s wife played by Keith Burton and there we discovered Jack’s lost love, Jill. Emma White had to perform much of her part stuck in a cage but she sang sweetly and it was good to hear a solo principal song.  I’m glad she was eventually released for the finale. All the songs were performed to a backing track and it was sometimes difficult for the villagers to keep in time with the music, causing the moves to be out of sync. But Food, Glorious Food and the finale went very well and with a swing. Layla Chandler, Edward Hacker and Theo Thorpe made excellent Blind Mice and I was very impressed by Moira Siara who was completely committed to her role as the harp, with some excellent tongue-in-cheek singing.

There were a number of set comedy pieces which kept us smiling. The ‘paying back the penny’ sketch proved that sometimes the old ones are the best, and I especially liked the magic box where things left lying around just disappeared. This resonated with all the parents. Next, Betty’s bucket turned out to be full of snowballs (or large balls of mozzarella?) and the audience enjoyed throwing them back on stage.

The sets were beautifully painted by Helen Voisey and built by a very large team of volunteers. Well done to Pateley Dramatic Society for a great afternoon of entertainment.

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