Jack and the Beanstalk panto 2024 | Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock
Written by Alan McHugh | Directed by Beth Morton
Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock | 12 December 2024 ⭐⭐⭐
This year's much anticipated pantomime at the Beacon Arts Centre is Jack and the Beanstalk. Returning 'Still Game' favourites Mark Cox and Jane McCarry take to the Greenock stage alongside 'River City' star Jimmy Chisholm, in the Beacon's third in-house produced pantomime.
Here, the well-trodden panto plot of Jack and the Beanstalk receives an inventive Inverclyde makeover. The story is set in the magical land of Inverstrone, where the giant Greedyguts wants to eat Dame Trott's beloved cow for his tea. She's not so keen on that idea, understandably! The Giant throws a hissy fit at the defiance of the villagers, and threatens to destroy the entire kingdom.
Writer Alan McHugh's version of the Jack and the Beanstalk fairytale sees Jack, short for Jacqueline (Shannon Swan) played as a headstrong, feisty female who bravely climbs the beanstalk to tackle the giant and save the town. Hurrah for independent girls climbing beanstalks!
In another clever twist to the traditional story, the giant (voiced by local hero Martin Compston) isn't actually seen for the first act, but rather his dirty work is done onstage by Sorceress Voldemorra (Jane McCarry) and her sidekick Snotbag (Mark Cox) Such a clever way to avoid having to stage a Giant! And when GreedyGuts does unexpectedly appear in the second act, he's all the more startling and impressive.
The Beacon panto features plenty of local references and the expected digs at neighbouring towns and football teams. But although the idea for the script is creative and clever, the dialogue and jokes fall flat in the auditorium. The fantastic cast do their best with the material, but the belly laughs we expect from a Scottish panto simply don't exist. Especially in act one.
I couldn't make out the better part of Voldemorra's dialogue and so perhaps I missed many smart, funny lines because of that issue. It's odd because the volume of the wonderful Jane McCarry's mic seemed high enough, and I could tell she was having a ball saying 'something' with her animated, playfully wicked delivery - but her words were muffled and completely lost to me.
Act Two of Jack and the Beanstalk is leaps better in terms of fun and energy, and it really saves the show.
Act Two opens with an explosive version of Livin La Vida Loca, reimagined as "Livin' With Voldemorra", which McCarry and the dancers deliver with enthusiasm and glee. The song and dance numbers are universally excellent, but it would've been nice to have a couple more of them.
The clever, punny, updating of familiar songs is done particularly well in this panto and one of the highlights running throughout the entire show. Beyonce's Texas Hold 'em (the undoubted panto anthem of 2024; this is the 4th panto I've seen to feature it so far!) opens the show with the lyrics "This is Greenock" - and it works brilliantly.
More super punny, but wildy crowd pleasing musical numbers centre around the brilliant, audience favourite Moo Moo the cow. "Moooves like Jagger" and "I Will Always Love Moomoo" are inventive versions of widely known hit songs and have just the right vibes and cringe-factor for a panto.
The cast are magnificent, with McCarry, Cox and Chisholm proving they're not only fine stage actors, but they can belt out a tune too. Sam Willison's voice is exceptional and his Rory is lovely, if a little underused. Shannon Swan's lively heroine Jack is exquisite, with Swan mighty impressive throughout. And the four supporting cast members are all outstanding dancers.
But star of the night is the wonderful Lee Samuel as Wacky Willy who bounced onto stage full of cheekiness and vitality. He has electric stage presence, and his double act with Moo Moo the cow is delightful. Samuels tried his best at every opportunity to engage the kids and inject some frolics and spirit into the panto.
This show also looks gorgeous, with traditional, pastel coloured sets with glittering accents amplified by stunning lighting design and effects. It has an almost hard-rock, Deep Purple-esque musical motif running through the show, which I loved. And when coupled with flashes of lightning, makes for a dramatic and exciting departure from the usual panto ambience.
There's so much to enjoy at the Beacon panto this year with its imaginative retelling of a classic panto tale, but it fell short of my sky-high expectations due to the surprising and puzzling lack of laughs ⭐⭐⭐
✨ Jack and the Beanstalk is at the Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock now until Tuesday 31 December 2024 ✨
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Beacon panto 2024: Jack and the Beanstalk Cast
Voldemorra – Jane McCarry
Snotbag – Mark Cox
Dame Trot - Jimmy Chisholm
Wacky Willy - Lee Samuel
Jack - Shannon Swan
Rory - Sam Willison
Ensemble: Ava Anderson, Katie Auld, Rory Malcolmson and Sean Van Oostrum
📸 production photos: Christopher Bowen
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