Jack and the Beanstalk Review
Image by Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash
Written by Hannah Simpson
Joyce Branagh’s Jack and The Beanstalk is a masterclass in Kernow culture. From the very etymology of giant mythology to the giant Cornish pasties which are paraded around the stage, it is evident that this is a pantomime by Cornwall playhouse productions for Cornwall.
The story, written by Steve Marmion, is miraculously both familiar and nothing you’ve ever heard before. The plot begins with Jack (Patrick Dineen) and his sister, Simone (Charlotte Rutherfoord) who explain to the audience that the Giant who rules over the land has kidnapped most of the children to work in his cloud factory. And, as taxes increase due to staff shortages and The Giant’s general greediness, Jack is left with the task of saving his farm, his friends, and his cow Jagga (performed by Shen Leng Chow) from the Giant’s more specific steak-based greediness.
The Giant is quite a ridiculous villain, and yet his composition as a larger-than-life wooden puppet allowed the adults in the audience to suspend their disbelief and truly feel stunned, even just for the pure scale and craftsmanship of the creature.
Similarly, with the beanstalk, the scale is a testament to the bravery of the show, although the stunt of Jack climbing the stalk briefly stalled the scene. However, this was not too noticeable and was immediately redeemed by Dame Lady Trott’s (Edward Rowe) impeccable crowd work.
A pantomime is not a pantomime until the dame makes an innuendo. Thankfully, Jack and The Beanstalk is chock full of dirty jokes, double entendres and crude lines delivered with glamour from the Kernow King, Edward Rowe. The most notable example of this would be when Dame Lady Trott picks out a man from the audience at the beginning of the show to court, beginning by pushing his head into her chest which goes on for what felt like a staggering ten seconds.
There was also a subtle romance between Jack and Jill, performed by Freya Karlettis. Dineen and Karlettis have an exciting chemistry which really shines through in their musical numbers, where they manage to parody successful pop songs without their characters being overshadowed by the established talents of the songs.
Karlettis, particularly, seemed absolutely in her element in every scene, and especially in her communication with the children watching. Her voice was so strong and so tender, she managed to make even the mention of mincemeat heartwarming.
If I were to describe this pantomime in one word, it would be brave. From the marvel of puppetry and special effects to stunts and songs, this pantomime did its very best to be magical, and when some of those elements did not land quite as well, the magic was found in the shared laughter between the cast and the audience where the veil was dropped. To me, this panto managed to not take itself too seriously and yet still be genuine.
Edited by Nico Horton