It's so refreshing in
these days of modern panto to enjoy a production with a proper principal boy and
not one, but two gloriously colourful and over-the-top dames.
This proved an emotional
night for veteran dame – and show writer – Kenneth Alan Taylor, back for one
last season in costume. A string of thanks at the curtain call brought a tear to
the old trouper's eye.
As Dame Daisy, Jack's
mother, there's probably little need for a script as he effortlessly works the
audience, teases the cast and brings the house down with ad-libs that must come
so easily after 30 years in a string of acclaimed roles.
He is the catalyst that
crafts this all-singing, all-dancing, costumed joke-fest into yet another
classic. And a flamboyant new costume for every scene completes the
package.
Many of the Playhouse
cast are also popular regulars being welcomed back for their annual theatre
beano, with the festive audience also clearly part of the show – even down to
random shouts from children clearly getting carried away with the action on
stage.
The tone for the evening
is set by the superb dancing girls and a panto orchestra that defies its size by
filling the auditorium with life. Their dual contribution to the big showpiece
numbers is key: the musical set-pieces were among the highlights, from the
cutesy giant dancing rabbits wowing everyone at the start to the hilarious What
Does the Fox Say number near the end. And it was so good we got them to do it
all over again!
The second dame treading
the boards is the manic and memorable Anthony Hoggard, a familiar face in his
sixth Playhouse panto. His double-acts with different cast-members has the
audience in stitches as he plays his eccentric role as the Giant's wife totally
for laughs.
Of course, that's what
we're here for! John Elkington as the giant's lackey Slurp hams it up as the
baddie and relishes the boos, hisses and soakings that come his
way.
Even Giant Blunderbore
manages to steal some of the fun as Daniel Hoffman-Gill makes the role his own
with an interesting, unexpected twist to the tale which you'll
appreciate.
Jack is played by
thigh-slappingly earnest Rebecca Little in her 13th production here.
She teams up with her on-stage love interest Annie (Kelly Edwards) and Tim
Frater as Danny, whose six-pack gets an outing in a scene especially for the
ladies!
There's a superb effort
on the scenery front this year with stonking sets that transport us into a world
of make-believe, as well as some backdrops that will make you forget for a
moment that you're in a theatre.
The children all loved a
slapstick scene (which seemed a little crow-barred in) – but it's panto and the
energetic community singing and getting the awe-struck little ones up on stage
in time-honoured fashion more than made up for that.
Jack and the Beanstalk
runs through until Saturday January 18 and will definitely be your last chance
to soak yourself in the genius and fun that comes in the shape of Kenneth Alan
Taylor. Oh yes it will – so book your tickets and find out what the fox
says...
