Panto number three of 2024 sees the highly anticipated show at my local theatre, the Questors, and this year they are back on traditional ground with Jack and the Beanstalk.
This amateur group continue to excel in their productions, and this annual treat is something I always look forward to.
Who: Written and directed by Mark Oldknow.
Where and when:
Questors Playhouse, Ealing, to 31 Dec 2025
Ticket link: https://www.questors.org.uk/event.aspx?id=1228
Cast:
With ten major players, plus a team of young people (at this performance it was Team Beanstalk), this is a show that fires on all cylinders.
Derek Stoddart, Niamh Brennan, Julice Liecier, Alex Marker, Joel Watson, Frances Sherwin, Stephen Mire, Sally Parker, Tracy Wickens and Elina Ghai are the main cast.
Basic plot:
A giant is terrorising the town and demanding payment or catastrophe. The King (Marker) offers his daughter’s (Liecier) hand in marriage to any hero who can remove the threat.
Step forward Jack (Brennan), son of Widow Trott (Stoddart), and brother of Simple Simon (Watson), but will he save the day and win the girl? And can Fairy Nuff (Sherwin) help overcome the wicked Fleshcreep (Mire)?
Characters and performances:
Stoddart’s Dame has a standout wardrobe and a flair for moving, and her romance with Marker’s befuddled King adds a lot of fun.
Brennan and Liecier make a delightful central couple while Watson is a flawless comic foil. I also really liked Mire’s baddie.
Audience interaction:
Boos and hisses delivered with gusto, the usual ‘oh no it isn’t” and ‘it’s behind you’ were present, but a few of Trott’s jokes missed their mark.
Atmosphere:
Good throughout, but at three hours a few younger children were beginning to get restless by the final scenes.
Music:
Another appearance for Mr Blue Sky and the usual Twelve Days of Christmas. Otherwise, pop and music theatre favourites make up the show, all delivered beautifully.
Technical:
A captivating opening scene with good lighting (by Robert Walker), excellent set design (by Alex Marker), and very good scene changes and routines (including a skeleton dance) keep things moving. The sound (by Dan Tigg) was very well designed.
Cuteness factor:
Mr Pickles the mouse, a talking hen and harp, and a parade of woodland animals, plus the dancing Pat the Cow, add to the family-friendly vibe.
Regional/contemporary relevance:
Ealing Gazette, Ealing eejits, ‘makes Hounslow look like Kensington’,’next stop, Southall’. It’s all here.
Final verdict:
4*
It was a lot of fun to see the company enjoy this show, although it was a little bit long. The writing was full of bad puns and silly routines, as any panto should be.
From the opening scene, this had us hooked, and including favourites like ‘Hushabye Mountain’ added a nice cherry on top.
Another triumph for the Questors!
Image credit: Carla Marker