Charing Cross Theatre
Playing until 11th January 2025
Photo credit: Steve Gregson
Review {AD-PR Gifted}
Chris Lane’s Dale (the village fairy) introduces us to the land of Upper Bottom: a quaint Yorkshire town built on euphemisms and innuendos with an ancient wood “where teenagers go to finger”.
Self-aware and tongue-in-cheek, Jack and the Beanstalk: What a Whopper! is jam-packed with quips, puns and (most prominently), sex. It bears all the hallmarks of classic British panto: audience call and response, a dame, a villain, a sidekick, and a love interest - all injected with a triple dose of camp.
Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper are trailblazers in adult panto, and Jack and the Beanstalk: What a Wopper! perfectly encompasses the genre. Their writing is racy, risqué and borderline obscene from start to finish, and certainly does not shy away from taboo. The text is densely packed with idiosyncrasies and kooky ideas that play with the audience’s expectations of traditional panto. At times, this can overwhelm and one can get lost in an onslaught of jokes that come too fast to fully land, especially when some of the lines are rushed at the top of the show. Slowing the pace would help us take in the fast and furious world of Upper Bottom.
Nevertheless, the cast deliver some stellar performances that bring this vibrant world to life. Matthew Baldwin’s Dame Dolly Trott is bold, bawdy and hilariously self-involved. He is at home on the stage, and his relaxation and freedom give his performance a sense of authenticity. Dolly’s frequent costume changes make for some excellent visual gags and titillate the audience with their spectacle. Jordan Stamatiadis’s villainous Lady Fleshcreep is a perfect ode to Morgana Robinson’s Pippa Middleton in The Windsors and her impressive vocals make her even more of a formidable presence on stage. Laura Anna-Mead is an endearing and lovable Simple Simone with a wonderful physicality that truly embodies the comedically clumsy character. Joe Grundy’s Reverend Tim makes for a charming and surprisingly tender love interest for Keanu Adolphis Johnson’s Jack. Their chemistry pulls on your heart strings, and Grundy’s charisma is palpable. This brilliantly juxtaposes with their slapstick sex scene in the graveyard, which speaks to the show’s ability to balance the sublime and ridiculous with a storyline that you become surprisingly attached to. Carole Todd’s choreography creates musical numbers that are love letters to the shows we all know and love, adding even more nostalgia and irony to the show.
Robert Draper & Sandy Lloyd’s costumes are flamboyant, technicolour ensembles that combine the world of children’s fairytale with raunchy, over-the-top visuals. They work perfectly with the whacky narrative and outlandish characters, especially in combination with the detailed set by David Shields. The illustration and painterly design mirrors the fantasy world that Bradfield and Hooper have created, particularly Dolly and Jack’s Hans-Christian-Anderson-esque home and phallically-shaped beanstalk.
Jack and the Beanstalk: What a Whopper! is British panto on queer steroids. The cast and production team have delivered a mammoth Christmas show that leaves you with your sides aching and a smile firmly planted on your face. It is certainly worth a watch if you’re looking for some campy joy this Christmas (though it’s not for the faint-hearted!)
Creative
Written by: Jon Bradfield & Martin Hooper
Songs and Vocal arrangements: Jon Bradfield
Director: Andrew Beckett
Musical Director and Orchestrator: Aaron Clingham
Choreographer: Carole Todd
Set Designer: David Shields Costume Designers: Robert Draper & Sandy Lloyd
Lighting Designer: Matt Hockley
Sound Designer: Andrew Johnson
Casting Director: Laura Seaborn (Harry Blumenau CDG)
Producer: Oli Sones (He’s Behind You!)
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