Southwark Playhouse is off to a great start in its new location and this first Christmas offering is no exception. Goat and Monkey's 'Jack and the Beanstalk' is a real cracker of a festive treat!
With humour for all ages, this cleverly-conceived alternative pantomime manages to subvert the genre without sacrificing any of the traditional fun and games. Writer, Toby Hulse, focuses on the story of the fictional characters making the panto, rather than the story of the panto itself. We join them on opening night and the show is nowhere near ready. To make matters worse, news arrives that the Panto Inspector will be in attendance! Much hilarity ensues. It's something of a panto-within-a-panto, if you will. The result is a momentum-gathering, laugh-out-loud caper in a brand new, wholly refreshing format. All the stalwart gags are in – the pantomime cow, the innuendo, the funny songs, the physical comedy, sweets getting chucked about, shouting out etc. – niftily bookended by the unique framing device.
The children in the audience were enraptured throughout and quite rightly, there were plenty of laughs for the adults too. Stand-out comic performances came from Ian Summers, who is magnificent, resplendent and perfectly-pitched as Dame Trott and Mike Bryher as Ivor Toolbox/ Fairy Liquid, who had the audience in stitches. Members of the Southwark Playhouse Young Company make a colourful appearance as the Mexican Dancing Beans and the Panto Inspector sparks great excitement by sitting amongst the audience with his curious suitcase.
The design, by Rebecca Brower, is full of surprises and ultimately has all the fantastic colour, humour and sparkle of the panto-season. Indeed, Dame Trott is quite something to behold in both hair, make-up and dress. The costumes of the second half are especially good and there is even the opportunity to do a little dressing up in the audience!
This Jack and the Beanstalk is a charming family Christmas Show that goes against the grain of commercially-driven celebrity pantomime culture. It offers young people the chance to experience unique, accessible live comedy through a Christmas tradition and displays much more imagination than we've come to expect from the form.
Jack and the Beanstalk is on at Southwark Playhouse and runs until Saturday 11th January.
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Anna Benjamin
