Jack and the Beanstalk

Certainly the directorial debut for pantomime worked well with Paul and Katie Woodhouse, and this Peter Denyer script. ( another summer school success)
Comedy in very good hands with Chris Morter as Dame Trot, timing and interaction with audience as high profile in this role showing experience for the ‘frocks’ part. Good interaction too with the Silly Billy of Josh Francis: that slapstick scene in the dairy worked well, messy, as did the ‘balloon dance’ sequence; both very traditional pantomime comedy.
A nice singing voice, personality, and the thigh slaps, from the title role Jack played by Liz Taylor, and she worked well with the principal girl, Jill, from Beth Robertson, a good duo. Clear diction for the rhyming and singing by Samantha Jessop as Fairy Moonbeam; and what a contrast to the evil machinations of Laurence Barnett in his element as wicked Fleshcreep, and his sidekick Grabbit of Simon Mann, and we enjoyed the boos. The plot was really too much for the King (Michael Butcher) to cope and solve. And how the lively chorus worked in their songs and movement.
And of course we all loved Daisy the Cow from Jennie Harrison and Danielle Pointer.
As for the Giant, well the size on that stage impressed, and difficult for Josh Lincoln to manoeuvre, but really Richard Crawley as the voice gave it everything we expected and more.
Good beanstalk and other set-pieces on a small stage created the atmosphere.
A good traditional pantomime and much enjoyed.

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