Theatr Clwyd have got a strong reputation for their Christmas pantomimes and so there was a lot of anticipation for what we were about to see, 'Jack And The Beanstalk: The Rock 'n' Roll Panto'. Directed by Zoe Waterman it certainly didn’t disappoint. From the moment we entered the Anthony Hopkins auditorium we were immersed in the show, cast members greeted us and interacted with the audience. These initial moments set the tone for the rest of the evening. It was fun, high energy and everything was done for enjoyment. It delivered everything you would expect from a pantomime and more besides.
The set used flies and flats designed to show the different locations from Jack's home to the Giant's home. They were bright and colourful as well as functional. My 5 year old loved the use of trap-doors as the characters of Daffodil and Poison Ivy would appear in a gush of dry ice! There were strings of lights hung throughout the theatre and little cloud lights to remind you of the ever-present threat of the Giant.
Throughout the performance puppets popped up. The golden goose was a firm favourite for my kids and its cheeky pecking and bopping along to songs brought the character to life for the younger members of the audience.
Phylip Harries as the Dame, Tabitha Trott, kept the innuendos coming thick and fast. The jokes struck a balance between those for the younger audience and those intended for the grown-ups. Never once was I worried that my 8 year old would pick-up on some of the naughtier jokes but he laughed along at the obligatory fart jokes! Her striking costumes, there were plenty of changes throughout the performance, always highlighted some part of her character or a plot point, but again reiterated the message of fun.
Adam Barlow was hilarious as Squire Simon. His rendition of “Slim Shady” on a Segway while dressed in a gold hip-hop outfit was truly comic genius, his timing impeccable, his pace flawless.
The songs came thick and fast as you would expect with a rock 'n' roll panto. The show mixed older favourites such as “I Put A Spell On You”, “Living On A Prayer” and “You’re The One That I Want” with more contempory songs such as “Shotgun” and “Thinking Out Loud” It meant neither the older nor younger audience was alienated. It also led to lots of dancing in the aisles! Both my children and myself were up boogying away to “I’m Every Woman” and “I Love Rock 'n' Roll”.
The cast really brought the fun to their performance hamming up obvious jokes, shooting us with water guns, picking on audience members to come up on stage, they worked hard to ensure we had a good time and it paid off. The live music was phenomenal and the fact that all cast members played every instrument on stage, sang, acted and danced left me exhausted. However it was more then this, you felt the whole cast were having fun, they were letting you into their inside jokes and you really felt a part of the experience. The use of local places and dipping into some Welsh language worked well and is a reminder of Theatr Clwyd's importance in Welsh theatre and culture.
I can not rave enough about this performance. I had FUN. It wasn’t life changing, it didn’t have a message, it was just pure unadulterated entertainment... and did I mention fun! I enjoyed it, my children enjoyed it and judging by the fact the whole audience were on their feet for the final number the whole audience loved it too. If you can get tickets I urge you to go and have a rollicking good time.
Reviewer - Francesca Eager
on - 27/11/19
Yep thoroughlt enjoyed it
ReplyDelete