Review: Jack and the Beanstalk

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Jack and the Beanstalk.
Since a very young age, I have been to a dozen pantomimes in London, seeing many different stories told (such as Cinderella, Aladdin and Snow White, to name a few). However, despite seeing so many pantomimes over the years, I had never seen a production of Jack and the Beanstalk. This year, the New Wimbledon Theatre (a theatre which is quite local to me) put on the rare panto of Jack and the Beanstalk, starring Al Murray and Clive Rowe, so I gave it a try to see what Wimbledon had to offer. Wimbledon's Jack and the Beanstalk provides a very enjoyable experience, but it seems to lack some of the magic that can usually be found in pantomimes.

Overall, the cast that feature in this production were very talented and I enjoyed many of the performances. At the heart of the cast is Al Murray, who portrays Barman Al. I had heard reports of what Al Murray's comedy was usually like, so I was somewhat skeptical as to whether I would enjoy his performance. Despite this, I ended up being very surprised; he was actually extremely humorous. Al Murray truly comes into his element when he decides to ad-lib. His ad-libs were hilarious, and were a lot funnier than what was scripted. By his side was Clive Rowe as Dame Trot, which was without a doubt the best part of this production. I doubt I would have enjoyed this show nearly as much if Clive Rowe had not been starring in it. Onstage, Rowe has a larger than life personality. He had some great interactions with the audience, and additionally, he also had an exceptionally powerful voice. Al Murray and Clive Rowe made the perfect team and it is clear that they work well together. Jack Trot, performed by Liam Tamne, didn't actually have an extremely large role, which is ironic considering that he is the title character. Despite his limited stage time, the scenes he was in were very good and I was throughly impressed by his singing. It is a shame that Liam Tamne is not given more opportunities to show off his voice. Another stand-out performance was Charlotte Gooch as Princess Apricot. Similar to the role of Jack, Princess Apricot doesn't have an enormous amount of stage time, however Charlotte Gooch still left an impression with her wonderful voice.

The set and costume designs were brilliant; they were a real highlight of the show. There was a clearattention to detail in both the set and the costumes. I liked the large majority of the special effects, with the helicopter and the growing beanstalk at the end of act one being the most effective. Both of these special effects were highly impressive; it was very much a "wow" moment. Sadly though, not all the special effects had the same impact on me. In act two, the show makes use of a 3D screen, which I didn't particularly care for. The 3D wasn't very effectual, and the scene where it was used could have been done a lot better by using puppetry.

As I stated earlier, it is a very enjoyable show, but it seems to lack the magic sometimes found in pantomimes. I believe this issue is largely due to the script. The writer of this show has completely transformed the original Jack and the Beanstalk fairytale, to the point where it is almost unrecognisable. This version features fairies and princesses, which was unnecessary. It would have made for a much better pantomime if the writers had chosen to stick to the original story, with perhaps only one or two minor changes. The direction also seemed a little weak at times.

Despite its flaws, I still really enjoyed this quirky telling of Jack and the Beanstalk. It is by no means perfect and could do with a lot of editing, but it was still a lovely way to celebrate Christmas Eve!

The featured star of Jack and the Beanstalk is, drum roll please... CLIVE ROWE!

I am thrilled that Clive Rowe was cast for this production, because without him I doubt the show would have been as much fun as it was. He was definitely the perfect choice for the role of Dame Trot. He puts tremendous energy into the role and it certainly pays off. I hope to see him again in future pantomimes! 

Now for my final verdict on Jack and the Beanstalk. I give Jack and the Beanstalk...

Despite Jack and the Beanstalk suffering from a few flaws in the writing and direction, its wonderful cast do a great job at making it as enjoyable as possible, which is why I have chosen to award this production 3 stars!

Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer