Jack and the Beanstalk

Within the first five minutes it was very obvious that several boxes had been ticked, guaranteeing a successful pantomime. Tick one, a good script choice. Ben Crocker is renowned for putting a modern feel on traditional stories; you really can’t go wrong with his scripts. Tick two, lots of colour, terrific costumes, traditional, with a completely O.T.T dressed dame who with her numerous changes looked beautifully ridiculous! An exquisite set, with excellent perspective, full of detail, all painted with a precise hand. The amount of work and time put into these works of art must be phenomenal. Last but not least of this eyeful of opening splendour, was the vibrant energy brought to the stage by the (mostly) young chorus. Their 'Colour My World' was well rehearsed, strong and moved with confidence.

'Slimeball', looked every inch as the name implied, greased hair, Spivey suit and attitude. The twist in the tail, he was a she! Her considerable acting skills enabled the characterization to work brilliantly.

Dame Trott took a while to relax and settle but once there showed natural comedic skill and an   ability to create a relaxed rapport with other cast. His tendency to lapse into a ‘Catherine Tate’ character was very funny, along with Jack, they anchored the production perfectly. All principals found a solid depth of character and performed them to a believable standard,  however some struggled to command audience focus when speaking, causing a drift in attention on occasion. A visual, physical spectacle came in the form of Giant Blunderbore, on all accounts a ‘real’ person standing more than two and a half metres tall, at least! Top marks to the creators, his hilarious antics and high pitch singing stole the show. Dancing skills were fully exposed from the young chorus, choreography had an edgy feel and fitted entirely appropriately to the music and available space. Unfortunately the M.D was taken ill mid rehearsals so a compilation of backing tracks were quickly accessed and used. Although true to say singing was compromised at times by this late adjustment,  not helped at all by the presence of a persistent gremlin in the sound system. Cast are to be congratulated for working through it so admirably, as would be expected from the troupers they are!

This pantomime was more than able to tick enough of those boxes to provide wholesome family entertainment of a good standard.

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