It’s a sign of a successful panto when the performers are struggling to continue because they can’t stop laughing. There are two action-stopping moments in Nottingham Playhouse’s current offering that mean the show can’t go on—for a brief moment at any rate.
In the first half of Jack and the Beanstalk, Dame Daisy Trott is supposed to have various dairy products dropped onto her while she is trapped in a specially created machine. The hilarity went to extreme levels on press night when the handle which brings the gunk cascading down fell off.
Thankfully, masterful dame John Elkington, Bradley Judge who’s a likeable Silly Billy and Jewelle Hutchinson who plays winsome farm manager Jill are able to ad lib convincingly and avert any disaster.
In the second half, a boisterous version of the old favourite “If I Were Not Upon The Stage” descends into chaos. It gets increasingly complicated with the actors taking more and more liberties with their props. Another press night first: Elkington lost his wig in the mayhem.
The Nottingham Playhouse panto is almost guaranteed to please. Some people go more than once because they know they’ll see a different performance each night.
There are no star names—not on the stage, at any rate—and no hype in the Nottingham Playhouse panto. Just family entertainment at its best.
Jack and the Beanstalk is written and directed by the theatre’s artistic director Adam Penford who knows exactly what his audience wants: a tale with a happy ending, a good laugh, suitable songs that people can sing along to and some neat dancing.
Penford also throws in some topical jokes about the city council’s financial problems, a one-eyed giant who isn’t too frightening to upset young children and dancing chickens.
Alice Redmond is a loveable Pat the Cow, Tom Hopcroft is a suitably evil Fleshcreep, Finton Flynn is an amiable Jack Trott and Caroline Parker is a joyous Fairy Godmother.
There’s also an enthusiastic young chorus and a four-piece band who contribute without overpowering the show.
Jack and the Beanstalk features Sir Ian McKellen as the voice of Giant Blunderbore and Julie Hesmondhalgh as the voice of the talking harp. However, there’s no way they detract from the talent on the stage.
Few people will deny that the star of the show is Elkington. He commands the stage whenever he makes an entrance, striking up an immediate rapport with his fans with his joyfulness as well as his sumptuous costumes. On press night, some theatregoers were eager to join in, especially a man called Doug who had no hesitation in pulling on a T-shirt which proclaimed he was “the luckiest man in the audience”. No wonder Elkington has already been signed up for the 2025 panto.
Admittedly, there are a few jokes which have been regurgitated so often they elicit groans instead of laughs. And there’s the obligatory appearance of a ghost to enable younger members of the audience to scream “behind you!”
Overall, though, Jack and the Beanstalk is a classy, clever concoction which proves the Playhouse is always aiming for and reaching new heights.