Jack and The Beanstalk

This was my first visit to Eynsford Village Hall to see  the ‘Riverside Players’ perform their annual pantomime. 

As his debut into writing Lawrence Watling chose ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ set in the village of Eynsingham. Difficult enough to write any script but to get the rhyming dialogue to make sense is an achievement in itself. It delivered everything you could hope for in a pantomime and a great deal more, keeping to the original tale but with creative departures.

Scenery was simple but effective in creating scale and depth, enhanced by a good lighting plot. Sound generally good, although there were one or two problems with feedback. Effort had been put into props and the costumes were excellent. The contemporary songs were a good choice played by the (sometimes a bit loud) small band. I particularly liked the finale to Act 1 with the song from ‘Les Misérable’. All the chorus and dancers, together with the five additional singers added colour. The children were a delight especially the cheeky boy!

Fairy Flora (Kirstie McMillan-I liked her sparkly boots!) set the scene as we were gradually introduced to the characters. Everybody loved the butch Dame Trott (Lee Bentley) especially when she delights in making a reluctant audience member squirm! The Giant’s helper Fleshcreep (Benjamin Newton) was sufficiently sinister enough to extract the usual boos and hisses from the audience. Jack’s brother Silly Billy (Steve Fenlon), added the comedy with ‘groanable’ jokes, as did the King’s minders Dave (Jason Down) and Chas (Shari Nahr). They worked well together and a highlight was the routine with the record sleeves. King Alan Cremer (Tony Fish) was suitably bumbling. His daughter Princess Tamara (Jen Armstrong) had a lovely singing voice and teemed well with Jack (Bethan Grylls). We must not forget lovable Daisy the Cow (ably assisted by Helen Nicholson and Phil Ward) who plays such a crucial part in the story.

In Jack’s quest to defeat the Giant and Fleshcreep to rescue Princess Tamara, which of course he does, after a well choreographed fight with light sabres (what else!), he finds out – in true Star Wars fashion – that Fleshcreep is really his father, but thanks to Fairy Flora, the spell he is under is broken and the Trott family are re-united and of course Jack and the Princess live happily ever after.

This was a lovely family show, full of energy, song and dance with scintillating performances by all concerned. Well done.

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