Jack and the Beantin

Bispham CastAways presented a short family pantomime, Jack And The Beantin, written by Peter Bond, at Moor Park Library. The piece was a lovely example of accessible community theatre, taking live performance out into the local community and offering families the chance to enjoy theatre in a relaxed and welcoming setting.

The script was light, playful and full of traditional panto fun, with a familiar “Jack and the Beanstalk” feel but with its own comic twist. It was ideal for a short family performance, giving the cast plenty of opportunities for humour, character work and audience interaction. Under the direction of Hayley Price, the story moved along brightly and confidently, with just the right amount of silliness and warmth for a young audience.

Considering the performance took place in a library, the presentation was well achieved. The company made excellent use of the available space and created a clear performance area that worked well for both cast and audience. Credit must go to the technical team, particularly Ian Fleetwood as Technical Director and Dave Hart for sound and set, for the hard work that had gone into ensuring everyone could be heard. The addition of choir microphones, mounted onto a specially constructed frame, was a clever and practical solution and helped the dialogue carry well in a non-theatre venue.

The cast embraced the panto style with enthusiasm. Debbie Flavell as Gertrude 1, Conor James as Mrs Broke, Susan Hope as Jack, Dave Hart as the voices of Gertrude 2 and Rover, Amanda Knapp as Beth, Dave Austin as the Beanseller, Hayley Price as Mrs Scrubba and Martin Thompson as the Giant all contributed to the fun. They were particularly strong when interacting with the many children in the audience, some of whom were very young. The cast handled the children’s reactions beautifully, ad-libbing naturally and keeping the atmosphere lively, friendly and inclusive.

The audience clearly loved the performance. The children were captivated by the colourful costumes, playful acting and panto energy, and it was lovely to see them so engaged throughout. Katy Randall supported the production as prompt, and costumes, make-up and props by the cast and crew added greatly to the homemade charm and cheerful visual appeal.

This was a short but enjoyable mini pantomime, delivered with heart, humour and real community spirit. Bispham CastAways should be very proud of a warm, accessible and entertaining performance that perfectly reflected their mission to encourage creative participation for all.

 

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