Broken Legs Blog

It’s that time of year again, as Nottingham Playhouse bring their new version of “Jack and the Beanstalk” to the stage, written and directed by Adam Penford, and starring everyone’s favourite panto dame John Elkington as Daisy Trott. This is a fun show, stuffed to the brim with an extraordinary number of pop songs, numerous one liners and fabulous costumes – an absolute treat for all the family.

Elkington is no doubt the star of the show, bringing his own dry sense of humour to the role, and “begrudgingly” giving the audience exactly what they want (we know he loves it really!). Elkington’s costumes become more extravagant as the show goes on, stand outs this year being a hot air balloon inspired dress, a giant chicken and a field of sheep (it’ll make sense when you see it). His sly asides to the audience never fail to draw laughs from both the old and young, as he picks out a potential new husband from the crowd (a poor man called Doug was last night’s victim) and directs the sauciest comments his way.

Elkington is joined by Finton Flynn as the titular Jack and Jewelle Hutchinson as Jack’s love interest Jill. It is clear that Elkington relishes winding up the younger cast members with his continual attempts to make them corpse – although Flynn and Hutchinson give as good as they get, a particularly memorable moment seeing them “break” the ice cream machine, leaving Elkington to get sprayed by all sorts of goo and slime.

Also joining in the fun is Bradley Judge as Silly Billy, who was greeted by “Ay up Silleh Billeh” (the Notts accent has never been stronger) every time he entered the stage. Judge was not quite as adept at audience interaction as Elkington, but had definitely warmed up to the role by the show’s end, delivering several birthday callouts, and leading on the songsheet with junior members of the audience.

Tom Hopcroft presents a formidable villain in the form of Fleshcreep, the giant’s aid who tries to steal the family cow (Alice Redmond) for the giant’s supper. He is able to elicit both laughs and boos from the crowd, and it is testament to his likeability that the audience are crying out for more by the end. Hopcroft brings the right amount of campness to the role, as well as some questionable dance moves. The giant is voiced by Sir Ian McKellen, who has very little to say but nevertheless adds some gravitas to the production.

The script is bang up to date, with references to Oasis ticket sales, the finances of Nottingham City Council and lots of what can only be described as “Tik Tok Slang” sprinkled throughout. There are a whole range of songs on offer too, from classic musical number “A Bushel and a Peck”, right up to Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go” (which is basically the new YMCA, judging by the dance moves). There are also musical numbers which have recently become pantomime staples in the form of Taylor Swift’s “Shake it off” and Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling”.

Acting as our narrator for the piece is BSL actor Caroline Parker as the Fairy Godmother, who signs throughout, including her musical number of Take That’s “Shine” and the finale “I wish it could be Christmas everyday”. She brings an otherworldly presence to the show, captivating the audience whenever she appears and acting as the calm amidst the mayhem.

Not everything works quite as well as it should. Jack and Jill lack chemistry, making their romance feel a little bit forced, and a rendition of the Jet2 advert Jess Glynne’s “Hold my Hand” feels especially unnecessary. A recurring joke with the Fairy Godmother’s magic wand also didn’t land every time, and narration from Julie Hesmondhalgh as the Magic Harp felt a little out of place.

The set, designed by Cleo Pettitt, is superb, evoking the classic pantomime cartoon style, whilst dropping in some local references such as the Nottingham council house and the left lion. The beanstalk that appears seemingly out of nowhere, the giant that saunters onto the stage in act two and the magical journey to the castle in the clouds is sure to amaze every child in the audience, and maybe even some of the adults!

Overall, this is a fun-filled pantomime, showing that you don’t need to rely on big celebrity stars when you have a script this tight and this funny. The jokes never let-up, and neither do the actors, seemingly finding energy from who-knows-where right up until the final curtain call. I would highly recommend this production for anyone looking to scratch their pantomime itch this Christmas. Great fun – oh yes it is!

Tom Morley, December 2024