Bournemouth Pavilion’s Jack and the Beanstalk brings traditional panto tale right up to date
NOTHING beats a good old-fashioned panto to get you in the festive spirit or overcome the post-Christmas blues, and Bournemouth Pavilion’s timeless tale of Jack and the Beanstalk has all the elements of a fantastic show.
With innuendos galore, non-stop banter, bright and often outrageous costumes, pop culture and plenty of audience participation, it was a raucous affair with goodness at its heart.
The best gauge of a good panto is surely the reaction of the kids packing out the audience, and judging by the hilarity, shouting, and frantic gesticulating, this show well and truly hit the mark.
I took my boys, aged five and eight; one delights in this great British tradition and the other can take it or leave it. This year’s offering at the Pavilion was brought right up to date, keeping my eldest enthusiastically engaged throughout.
A definite highlight for them were the entertaining and inventive 3D interludes, for which panto-themed glasses were supplied by the theatre.
The giant loomed over the audience, spiders darted and Ghostbusters-style apparitions danced – and it went down a treat with the kids.
Another popular scene was an exciting and very comical chase scene – in parts slow motion – during which the characters tried and failed to catch Daisy the cow.
For me the stars of the show were Oli Brooks as Dame Trott, Jack’s mum, and Calum Lill (Coronation Street) as the villain, Fleshcreep, the enemy of the fairy who helps Jack on his quest.
The Dame, whose over-the-top and resplendent attire wowed the audience throughout, oozed charisma and was laugh-out-loud funny with her smutty jokes and unashamed romantic advancements towards the king.
Lill revels in the character of Fleshcreep, who prowls the stage and taunts his audience, soliciting furious boos. His ridiculously high-pitched delivery I found very amusing, and a couple of times he struggled to continue as he stifled laughs, which made him all the more appealing.
Singing and dancing brought another modern twist to the show, with well-known songs by the likes of Taylor Swift and Beyonce hilariously adapted and choreographed to fit the panto action.
There’s a great dynamic between David Ribi (Milkshake) as the wholesome Jack, and Rachel Grundy as the plucky Princess Jill, who spends much of the show trying to boost his confidence. The two enjoy a heartwarming friendship which leaves you confident that good will eventually triumph over evil.
When it comes to modern pantos, there’s a fine balance between keeping the great traditions alive and innovating to ensure you appeal to the next generation.
Director Benji Sperring gets the balance just right with Jack and the Beanstalk; all the fun, slightly bizarre, aspects of British panto are there – the cheering, the slapstick, the panto animals and the double entendres – but there are pop culture references that are likely to go above the heads of the older audience members (think ‘skibidi toilet’ – if you know, you know) along with eye-popping (quite literally) 3D special animation that really brings the show to life for younger fans.
Jack and the Beanstalk at the Pavilion Theatre in Bournemouth runs until 5th January. To book tickets, priced from £18, visit www.bournemouthpavilion.co.uk or call the box office on 0300 500 0595.
