We all know what to expect from a panto right? A jolly romp into fairyland with all the usual suspects? But Oxford Playhouse has excelled itself this year by bringing us a stonking production of Jack and the Beanstalk that had us screaming with excitement, crying with laughter, singing on our feet, shouting in agitation and rocking out with Hendrix The Horrible.
‘jack and the beanstalk is fresh, entertaining, bursting with new characters and whips along at a cracking pace’
So yes, director Toby Hulse has really upped his game this year to bring us something fresh, entertaining, bursting with new characters and whipping along at a cracking pace. READ ABOUT IT HERE
Never a dull moment, the casting is genius, writer Jack Counsel relying on the characters themselves to provide much of the fun, rather than big set pieces.
‘Hendrix the horrible had groupies – rows of school children and teens chanting ‘Hendrix’ whenever he left the stage’
So while there is a faulty ice cream maker, an environmental giant who resembles Monty Don, Eileen the Cow, a weather machine and obviously a beanstalk, it is the cast who carry the show.
A special mention has to go to Hendrix The Horrible, aka Ivor Biggun, (played so convincingly by Robin Hemmings), along ide his brilliant side kick Lils N, because he brought the house down, accumulating groupies before the panto had even finished – rows of school children and teens chanting ‘Hendrix’ whenever he left the stage.
Hendrix is the disgruntled brother of the giant Arthur, and considers himself something of a rock god, spending his time thieving, kidnapping and chatting up members of the audience, in this case the unfortunate Nadine “Were we at school together because I think we had chemistry’…….
His ‘guitar off’ with Jack in the race for good or evil was an absolute gift, as they played all the rock classics riffs live one by one. ‘Thunder’
‘we are already calculating how long we can leave it before we return to see it all again’
That’s not to deter from the rest of the highly gifted cast. Dame Mary from The Dairy was another larger-then-life persona – played so mischievously by Alasdair Buchan, with an endearing twinkle in his eye and real stage presence.
The teenage crush between Jack Dairy (Max Guest) and Jill, (Dumile Sibanda) is brilliantly realised, and in terms of the vocals Madison Swan as Fairy Foxglove has an unbelievable set of lungs on her.
Even the young company were excellent value. Throw in some great singing (the Rick Astley number was a highlight), sweet throwing, elaborate sets and costumes, singalongs, booing and so much more, as Jack and the Beanstalk hurtled towards its inevitable end, we were already calculating how long we could leave it before we returned to see it all again.
An excellent pantomime, so hats off to the Oxford Playhouse, Toby Hulse and the incredible Jack and the Beanstalk cast.
The 35,000 expected panto ticket holders are in for a massive treat. But the Playhouse is missing a trick – some Hendrix merch would make a killing!
Jack and the Beanstalk is at Oxford Playhouse until January 7. Book here https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/events/jack-the-beanstalk
