Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. Today I will be taking you through my thoughts on "Jack & The Beanstalk", which I watched online and was performed at The Nottingham Playhouse.
This classic fairytale tells the story of a young boy name jack who after trading his Cow Pat for some magic beans, goes on the adventure of a lifetime. Pantomime is one of my favourtie genres, so I could not miss a show like this. And with an online service available, it meant that I can enjoy it from the comfort of my own home!
Finton Flynn took on the role of the principal boy Jack Trott. He was everything a hero needs to be in a pantomime. He was kind, he was brave, and also funny in some moments as well. He was definitely one to watch and his dancing was off the scale!
Bradley Judge took on the role of Silly Billy Trott. All I thought about was casting back to our adult pantomime (which I'm not going to say as the title says it all really lol), and our comical character having a name that rhymes with Billy but more adult related stuff, so it did make me chuckle ever so slightly. But Bradley did a brilliant job of bringing the comical character to life, saying gags and jokes which I even noted down for future references.
Jewelle Hutchinson took on the role of Jill. She was everything a principle should be. Kind, quirky, and the love interest of the leading man. She also has a brilliant voice, and her chemistry with Finton was off the chart. I could see why they both suit the roles after some of their duets!
Caroline Parker took on the role of the Fairy Godmother. Boy I absolutely loved her, and she was the sort of person you'd want to be friends with. She did a brilliant job at being the supportive character for Jack, helping him along the way to help save the family home. And she also seems like the sort of person who is always there to cheer you up, which is what we want, especially for the character of The Fairy Godmother.
John Elkington took on the role of dame Daisy Trott. He was what every pantomime dame should be! Funny, amusing and throwing the odd ad lib every now and then. Even when he broke character a few times, like a true professional he carried on. Although I would be the same as that’s what pantomime is all about!
Alice Redmond took on the role of Pat the Cow. Boy she was brilliant at this role. She made the character cheeky, funny and was quite a rebel too, mentioning references about cuts to arts funding which was rebellious but I liked it! And if that doesn’t show how important the arts are then I don’t know what! Well done Alice!
Tom Hopcroft took on the role of Fleshcreep, the giants assistant. He got what he needed as a pantomime villain, with the audience booing him, the call and response and then suddenly turning nice at the end. But overall I think he was suited to play this part, and like Daisy, even though he broke character a few times (which made it even more entertaining), he carried on like the true professional there is!
Julie Hesmondhalgh and Sir Ian Mckellen took on the voice roles of the Talking Harp and the Giant Blunderbore. I did not know that until the very end, but to have two iconic people in the world of acting to support the playhouse (as I know Julie has performed at the venue many times before), is a statement in itself. They definitely added some essence to the roles itself and it honestly felt like they were actually with us in the theatre!
I also loved the use of British Sign Language throughout the performance. This just shows the use of accessibility within the industry, and the skill as well, as it seems alot trickier than you think. I definitely need to learn the BSL interpretation of "Let it Shine" after this.
The thing about this pantomime that I loved the traditional pantomime features. Call and response, audience participation, cheering the hero's and booing the villains, "If I Was Not In Pantomime", and either the dame or comedic character often getting covered in custard. But one moment where something didn't go to plan did throw the actors off abit (as a prop broke), but like the true professionals they are, they carried on with the performance. But then again, when something goes wrong, it makes the experience more entertaining.
I don’t think I have any downsides to the show at all. But what can I say, pantomime is one of my favourite types of theatre. And despite a few things going wrong, it’s often the case in this genre. If anything it makes the whole production more entertaining.
Overall I would give the show a full house! It was fun, it was brilliant and it literally just put a smile on my face. And the on demand option should be an accessible thing for all theatres, in which the Playhouse and National Theatre are doing. As some people may not be able to make it in person because of financial reasons, illnesses that make it difficult to travel, or for autistic people like myself, the thought of going to an in person show may be overwhelming. So the online service is an easier and a less overwhelming option.
And that was my review of Jack and the beanstalk. Let me know if you’ve seen this production and be sure to check out the link below to the Nottingham playhouse to see what they have to offer. These include upcoming shows, how you can support of the company, and also opportunities particularly for creatives in the East Midlands like myself.
See you soon for another blog. Until next time…
This is The Autistic Actress signing off :)
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