Fresh, fun packed and worth leaving the house for
REVIEW: JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, EVERYMAN THEATRE, CHELTENHAM
IT takes more than a virus to keep a British audience from our most traditional form of British entertainment. Jack And The Beanstalk is playing to packed houses for every performance as everyone from pre-school kids to pensioners settle in for a session of song, dance and outright silliness, and this show has got it all – and more!
Writer Samuel Holmes has taken hold of the fact that things have to be done slightly differently these days and used it to bring a fresh, ultra-modern feel to proceedings, while keeping all the traditional fun we expect.
For example, the usual opening scene of folk dancing on the village green is replaced by the sort of slick moves you’d expect to see in a big West End production.
The music too, is bang up to date which is much appreciated by the youngsters. Sam also plays Captain Fleshcreep, the evil sidekick of the Giant, revelling in the ‘boos and hisses’ as he struts the stage.
In another departure from tradition, the ‘Fairy Godmother’ is replaced by the ‘Spirit Of The Unicorn’ a role as unashamedly camp as a row of rainbow tents and performed brilliantly by Kane Verrall.
That said, the slapstick fun and games and topical jokes we love to laugh at are all there in abundance, with many of the innuendoes coming from Kevin Brewis as Dame Tulisa Trott, swanning around in a variety of OTT outfits.
It’s amazing to see how Tweedy can have the whole audience in hysterics while wrestling with a deckchair and the havoc he wreaks while singing ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’ is an absolute joy.
Excellent performances from Darius J James as Jack and Gabriela Gregorian as the Princess Susan are complimented by the ‘voice of the giant’ – none other than that Master of the Makeover, Laurence Llewelyn-bowen.
There is a breath-taking event in the second half of the show that wows the audience and is certainly something to remember, but I won’t spoil the surprise. All I will say is that it beats the hell out of an Electric Scooter!
Jack And The Beanstalk runs until Sunday January 9.
It’s a fresh, fun packed show and well worth leaving home for.