REVIEW - JACK AND THE BEANSTALK - LYRIC HAMMERSMITH -

Jill the fairy is on her final exam: three wishes to make a positive impact on the world – can she do it? The evil Fleshcreep is taxing the town into poverty and using the giant to strike fear in the townspeople. Can Jack, Simon, and Dame Trott save the day? Well, it is panto, so anything is possible!

Maddison Bulleyment as Jill is an absolute delight! Their voice and performance is stunning. Emmanuel Akwafo’s Dame Trott is delicious – all the diva energy, dirty jokes, and fabulous outfits you need! A Dame for the ages, Akwafo proves that panto is all about the side characters and you don’t have to be on the poster to steal the show! Leah St Luce’s Jack is a fun, empowering character, giving us a nice family-orientated character who longs for adventure. Jodie Jacobs’s Fleshcreep was a perfect panto villain, and Jack’s Brother Simon (Finlay McGuigan) really gets the audience up on their feet and involved. The Simon Show is a fantastic interval, allowing for set and costume changes whilst keeping the audience utterly engaged. The ensemble puts on a brilliant show as a variety of characters from townsfolk to Fleshcreep’s minions.

Victoria Smart and James Perkins from Good Teeth are responsible for the set and costume, and they definitely nailed the brief! The recycled set, with the orange portals being used for the last ten years, doesn’t feel like last year’s castaway. Props are made of recycled marketing posters, including the milking machine’s instructions. The milking machine itself is a particularly well put-together design allowing Simon, Dame Trott, and of course Daisy the Cow more opportunities to shine.

Speaking of Dame Trott, the costumes! Dame Trott’s many costume changes stole the show – as it should be! From a Beyonce take on an ice cream Sunday to a truly delightful yellow diva number with a train to die for, all SEVEN changes are beautifully executed and a visual feast of silks, sequins and feathers. Fleshcreep brings camp cowboy vibes meets Dick Dastardly in a silver and purple suit.

Beyonce’s ‘Break my Soul’ and Lizzo’s ‘About Damn Time’ are featured heavily throughout, getting the audience involved in dancing and singing whilst reinforcing the empowering message of the performance, to stand up for what you believe in. The programme also contains some activities for children (and adults) including a crossword – if you can find golden, do let me know!

From the song choices to nicely inserted political jokes to messages of family, friendship and good prevailing, this was a true panto and I loved it!

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

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