Jack and the Beanstalk

When you enter a hall decorated with coloured fairy lights and the younger members of the cast are helping front of house to welcome the audience, you cannot help but be caught up in the excitement and anticipation.  As we were shown to our seats something told me we were going to have a very enjoyable couple of hours and I wasn’t wrong.

“Jack and the Beanstalk”, is one of the best loved traditional pantos and this production, devised and directed by Jennifer Scott-Reid, was definitely a seasonal treat. Hopefully it was also an opportunity for the members of this very busy Society, to relax into a production and have some fun.  Not that panto is easy to pull off.  Timing is still important if you want the audience to laugh on cue, but that was no problem here.  From the moment the curtains opened, through to the final bows, this was a production full of energy performed by an enthusiastic company of actors who obviously love to entertain.

As in previous years the Society was joined by a chorus of children, all in good voice and looking as though they were really enjoying themselves.  

Jean Schofield and Teresa Hennessy as Fairy Cake and Fairy Snott, the good and wicked fairies, opened the show and both gave good strong and very convincing performances!

Princess Jill was nicely played by Rachel Betts and Sue Grant was suitably laid-back as Jack which contrasted nicely with the antics of her dippy brother Silly Billy, played with great comedic effect by Jennifer Scott-Reid.  Very well done to all.

Charlotte Forster was an excellent King, trying to escape from the clutches of Dame Trott played by Neil Bird.  Did I detect a slight reticence by this actor to throw himself into the part?  A good performance but I felt he probably had more to give.

Judy Curry as Fairy Snott’s henchman Bogey was wonderfully over the top and David Liddle as Giant Blundermore certainly convinced some of the youngest members of the audience that he was a real giant. I saw one or two of them leave their front row seats and run to parents for reassurance!

With Sam Elliston looking suitably scary as Gorilla, Chicken delightfully played by Lily Betts who once again almost stole the show and Megan Ellison as Harp, this just about concludes the main line up.  There are two people though who deserve a special mention. Molly Hill and Amelia Hartley as Buttercup the cow.  They did a terrific job.  Well done to them and all the other junior members of the cast who had obviously worked very hard to learn their moves and songs and to come in on cue when dialogue was required of them.

The scenery had a lovely pantomime feel to it.  I loved that the houses were painted in a somewhat naïve way which really complimented the traditional feel of the production.   Beanstalks are not easy to install in a compact venue but the one here was absolutely right.  It wasn’t allowed to overpower the action but instead, ‘grew’ on the side of the stage which worked very well.

The music was great with a good choice of songs and the lighting, just right.

Congratulations to all involved and thank you for inviting me.

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