Jack and the Beanstalk (Bracknell, Wilde Theatre)

The
best elements of the production are Victoria Spearing’s
spellbinding design, and Alan Valentine’s fantastic lighting. The
set is amazingly flexible, taking the audience from location to
location smoothly and with style, and creating fabulous backdrops,
memorably for the giant’s house, the farm and for the obvious
centrepiece of the giant beanstalk. Valentine’s lighting
complements Spearing’s set perfectly, and includes a number of
lovely touches, such as a flashing light alarm effect, which is
installed in the corners of the auditorium.

Julian
Hirst, who both directs and takes the part of the Dame, holds the
production together brilliantly, creating many of the strongest
moments of comedy, and ensuring that the flow rarely falters.
Unfortunately he’s working with material that’s very varied in
its quality; there’s a good 40 minutes which could be cut to add
some pacing to the piece, though the show also contains some of the
funniest and most self-aware panto moments I’ve ever seen, many of
which had me in stitches.

Perhaps
most impressive are the moments where the writing teases “classic
panto reactions” out of the audience, without the cast verbally
asking for them or instructing the audience. There are no “he’s
behind you!” moments that feel forced or uncomfortable; the
responses just burst out of the audience in reaction to the action,
which is exactly how it should be. Unlike other pantos I’ve seen
this season, the “he’s behind you!”, and the “oh no you
can’t!” sketches are inspired; using wonderful theatrical effects
(which I won’t spoil by describing), and really adding to the
narrative.

The
real problem is the length of the show, but also a couple of the
performances. David Blackwell and Francesca Eve give their all to
the parts of Jack and Jill respectively, but their dialogue is
dull and patronising throughout, unnecessarily so when the standard
of the production elements is so high, and it really cheapens the
whole show. The end of Act One is truly dire, and the family audience
completely loses interest after having to sit still for nearly 75
minutes. It is such a shame, and so unnecessary – the action here,
which even I can barely remember, adds nothing to the story, doesn’t
develop any characters, and isn’t entertaining.

Act
Two picks up, with the best performances coming from Amy Newman as
Daisy The Cow aka Super-Moo, and Tom Neill as Monsieur Maurice, a
French Comedian. Alongside them is of course the genius of Hirst, a
fantastic Dame and an inspired director, who creates an exciting,
entertaining and very funny piece of theatre.

As
mentioned last month, South Hill Park is streaming this year’s
pantomime live into hospitals and hospices around the country on the
afternoon of Thursday 13 December. It’s this attitude of realising
how important panto can be, taking it seriously as a means of
entertainment, remembering that it’s often the first time children
encounter theatre, that makes this Jack and the
Beanstalk quite brilliant. Hirst makes the show a proper
piece of comedy, not just a cheap Christmas kids’ show.