Jack Off the Beanstalk
After having their previous venue demolished, and three years of not having a home to call their own, Above the Stag Theatre are back at a brand new venue in a renovated railway arch in Vauxhall performing their annual, strictly adults only panto.
Following in the footsteps of Dick Whittington – Another Dick in City Hall and Robin Hood – Queen of Thieves, Jack off the Beanstalk takes the audience on a wonderfully gay ride through Upper Jumper, the least tourist friendly village in Yorkshire. Complete with all the usual panto ingredients coupled with the addition of more than a smattering of very dirty jokes and double entendres, the writers Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper have created an evening you won’t forget.
It’s the usual story with a couple of LGBT twists. Jack Trott (Chris Clynes) and his mum (Matthew Baldwin) are poor dairy farmers, forced to sell their cow Kylie to avoid being evicted by mean landlord, Lord Fleshcreep (Ian Hallard), who wants to stage a festival on their farm.
Having sold Kylie for a bag of magic beans, the inevitable happens and they find themselves able to climb into the clouds to meet the giant (Steven Rodgers). He has been banished to the sky for his own, and everyone else’s, safety, following a magical accident which resulted in an – ahem – extremity gaining the ability to turn everything it touches to gold.
There are some really great performances. Matthew Baldwin as Dame Trott is hilarious. Muddled metaphors, well timed witty asides and a brilliant rendition of a pantomime adapted version of "Blurred Lines" keeps you thoroughly entertained while the Frankenferter-esque Lord Fleshcreep played by Ian Hellard oozes sex while ensuring his wicked antics knows no bounds. While Hellard and Baldwin reign supreme, they are also supported by a very capable cast.
Cleverly written with a mixture of obvious jokes, double entendres alongside outright smutty comedy, Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper are certainly good at what they do. The only part of the show which doesn’t add a huge amount to the production are the songs, however there is not such an abundance of them for it to be an issue.
Men in dresses, songs, dances, love stories and more innuendos and willy gags than you can shake a stick at show that Above the Stag Theatre have brought everything to their new venue that their audiences love.
Not for those easily offended or embarrassed, ignore political correctness, leave your shocked faces at the door and get ready to scratch and sniff your way through an evening of filthy frivolity.
