Panto is a Christmas cracker
ALL the usual ingredients for a festive panto were on display, as the award-winning Trinity Players brought their hilarious production of Jack and the Beanstalk to the stage last week.
And leading the laughs as the outrageously blousy Dame Trott was Sefton Winslade, whose cheeky innuendos and sly asides had the audience in stitches.
Also adding to the hilarity were the ever more outrageous costumes and dresses worn as the show went on.
And aiding him all the way in the laughter stakes were Matthew Smith and Travis Merry, as the Brothers Grimm, who are really evolving into a cracking double-act as they gain more experience and maturity.
Youth was really to the fore in many of the principal roles, with Jasmine Merry excellent as Jack Trott, the lad who sells his cow for some beans and her fine singing voice came to the fore in several numbers.
Grace Conant matched her in the acting and singing stakes in her role of Lucy, daughter of Baron Tightfist and Jack’s love interest.
Bruce Grant as the evil Baron soon had the audience booing and hissing his every evil intention to extract ever greater sums of money from his subjects, while Janine Conant as his wife proved his ideal partner.
Sometimes even for seasoned panto audiences, characters turn up who are not quite what you would expect.
And the addition of five rather mature brownies who entered the hall at the start of the show and then came in at odd times was to be honest, rather baffling; but most of the audience seemed to accept this, so perhaps just me!
When Christian Badcoe appeared as Robin Hood it seemed quite acceptable he would be there! Once again, as one of the younger players he showed great potential and was ably supported by Sophie Purcell as Lucy’s friend and maid.
Sam Hicks as the ‘Giant,’ turned the name on its head, when he appeared, but what he lacked in stature he more than it was made up for in gravitas and he was a scary ‘Giant.’
Liz Haigh as Fairy Moonbeam kept proceedings going along, backed by a fine chorus and dancing youngsters, while credit must also be given to the costumes and scenery changes which were slick and carefully managed.
All in all, another top-notch show and a vital Christmas cracker, carefully created under the direction of Andy Johnson.