I ALWAYS enjoy reviewing at Malvern Theatres, it has an atmosphere all its own – set as it is in beautiful grounds with the hills as a backdrop it never fails to bring a smile.
Add majestically lit Christmas trees outside and inside and huge revolving stars suspended in the foyer – ‘twas no wonder the packed house buzz turned instantly to cheers as Musical Director Sandra Horne struck up the band whooshing us into Pantoland.
This year it’s ‘Jack and the Beanstalk. Written with a nod to the classic fable by the clever panto addict Tom Whalley and directed by the hugely talented Paul Milton, it has everything a good panto should have, glamour, glitz, sauciness and silliness, baddies, ghouls, ghosts, gasps and guffaws. Plus there’s BIG voices, cossies, dances and special effects – all packed into two hours thirty minutes of pure pleasure.
Principals in this splendid company all break through that audience fourth wall with blissful aplomb – after all everyone’s here on a mission to go home with sore throats from shouting, wet eyes from crying and aching ribs from laughing – happily Jack and Co do not disappoint.
Cheeky-chappy Mark James returns to see his Malvern mates (‘Here we are’) as Silly Billy to guide us through the nonsense with his Lancashire lilt. Tom Lister is back too as the dastardly-dashing Flashcreep, a high energy villain (special shout out for his mean Freddy Mercury impression). Also returning is Nick Wilton as Dame Dot Trott making the most of her shocking frocks and irascible innuendos.
Ella Holt is our charmingly clumsy fairy as the Spirit of the Bean. Joshua Price is the naïve and handsome son of the Dame, Jack Trott and Ruth Betteridge is a bundle of heart-warming energy, capturing the rapture as Jill Pickle.
I’m going to make an exception and mention all the ensemble who the excellent choreographer Cameron Macdonald drilled into the best routines I had seen over the years here at Malvern. Take a bow Owen Bagnall, Kathy Bancroft, Benjamin Kempton, Meg Luscombe, Libby McGarry and Freya Nicole Woods – not forgetting the children from the Cellia Dance Centre.
Without wishing to spoil the surprise, the special effects in act two are amazing and so realistic that at times they had us ducking in our seats – you won’t find more thrills in the West End.
More people go to the theatre in panto season than they do in the rest of the year combined. It’s the time when theatres fill their coffers with funds to allow them to bring us theatrical experiences all year round. This year there seems to be panto everywhere, from village halls to stately homes but take a tip from me and mark ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ at Malvern as ‘Unmissable!’
I’ll let my co-reviewers have the last words ‘five-year-old grandson Jacob’ said “It’s really funny and best bit was the scary but not too scary ghosts who jump out at you”. My other companion Johannah said “It had everything you want in a pantomime” – that’s it in a nutcracker – sorry nutshell!
Jack and the Beanstalk runs until January 4. Click here for times, tickets and more information.
