The Giant is the good guy, and Jill enjoys drinking bathwater!
Jack and the Beanstalk, at Port Sunlight’s Gladstone Theatre, was the latest of a recent trend towards pantomimes that appear not at Christmas but, in this case, over the Easter holidays. It was produced by Dreamworld Entertainments.
The opening of the show introduced Fairy Fertile, played by Justine Langford. She embodied the magical role well, and opened the play with enthusiasm.
The first half of the play, although a slow start, was enjoyable. The protagonist Jack was played by Lewis Pryor. He showed why he continues to be brought back to local theatre – his natural charisma is apparent.
Jack must make difficult decisions throughout the play. He is conned by villain Dr Fleshcreep into selling his beloved cow “Mooana” for supposed magic beans – which turn out to not be magic at all.
Jack is part of the Trott family who make their living by selling fresh vegetables. A gag that is run throughout is people stealing sprouts from an honestly box – it was a fun element but sometimes overused.
The crowd interactions were a little too often – the sheer amount of chants the crowd was asked to remember meant that often they were missed.
The other members of the Trott family are Dame Trott and Silly Scott who were brilliant. They were played by Emmerdale’s Michael Clapham and Michael Bailey. Silly Scott, the comic lead in the play, interacted with the audience throughout and provided many laughs for the children watching.
Dame Trott was the standout star of the show. Clapham used a big over-the-top personality and quick-witted comments to fill the stage with his presence and make every scene he was in better. The costumes used for Dame Trott was array of huge dresses that were fantastic.
Hollyoaks’ Darren John Langford played Villain Dr Fleshcreep. Dr Fleshcreep is consistently medalling in the villagers’ lives and is after the affection of Jill. Langford played the perfect villain: his characters’ bad intentions were partnered with much crowd interaction.
Jill, Jack’s love interest, was played by Ellie Clayton. Enthusiastic, fun, and a firm-favourite with the girls in the crowd, Jill brought a balance to the chaotic group. Clayton’s vocals were the most impressive of the show – she particularly shone every time she was in a musical number.
Jill’s character is often used for adult jokes in the play. It suggested to enjoy drinking other people’s bathwater in a hint to the film Saltburn, and she comments that her father is trying to set her up with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The joke did not land as expected I think, it left quite an uncomfortable feel in the audience.
The Trott family are in conflict with Jill’s father Squire Pegg, played by Neil Macdonald, as they owe him rent. At first an unlikeable character, he grows to show that he is a loving father and a team player later on in the play.
Macdonald played the character well. He did well to move the character from one the audience didn’t like to one we did. His duet of Rupert Holmes’ “Escape” with Dame Trott was particularly enjoyable.
Once the story is established in the first half of the play, the second half really picked up. It was a nice spin on the classic tale that the Giant was not a villain.
The audience had much been lost by the end of the first half, but by the second half of the play they were fully engaged again. Stronger jokes and quicker scenes helped recapture the audience’s attention.
There was one scene, incorporating the classic “he’s behind you” panto gag that felt unnecessary. The scene featured some of the characters being chased and captured by aliens. It felt out of place, and the famous gag got a bit lost.
The biggest issue the group faced was escaping Dr Fleshcreep. A battle ensued, with Dr Fleshcreep having a happy redemption-arc after all.
The play was accompanied by four talented dancers, including Eleiyah Navis, Sophie Gubb, Owen Deary, and Lewis Thompson. Thompson was particularly impressive.
Overall, the show was thoroughly enjoyable. It was entertainment for someone of every age, and I was laughing from start to end.
Dreamworld Entertainment are putting on Dick Whittington at Gladstone Theatre this December. If Jack and the Beanstalk is anything to go on, it will be a great day out for the family.
