REVIEW | Jack and the Beanstalk, Broadway Theatre, Catford
Written by Penny
Disclaimer: gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
This year’s panto at the Broadway Theatre is not for the faint-hearted. It is loud. And I mean LOUD. This beautiful Grade II listed building has recently benefitted from a £7 million investment, restoring the auditorium to its former glory. It’s an impressive venue, a big cavernous space in which the acoustics are so good that every child’s excited shout and scream is amplified to the max. Multiply that to fit over 200 children into the auditorium and, as I said, it’s loud!
This, of course, is exactly what you want from a family panto – the hard-working cast manages to instantly engage with the children in the audience with some simple call and response interaction. And when they’re asked to shout louder, the children never disappoint.
Written and directed by Susie McKenna, well known as the “Queen of Pantomime” and the brains behind years of hugely successful Christmas shows at the Hackney Empire, this version of Jack and the Beanstalk gives the classic story a contemporary twist, resulting in a show that perfectly reflects the diversity of the local community, with more than a little social commentary alongside the traditional panto humour.
McKenna’s script is full of topical and political references, with mentions of Suella Braverman, Keir Starmer, HS2, the BBC, Strictly and even Margaret Thatcher.
I certainly didn’t have “Hundreds of children screaming BORIS THE LYING COCKROACH at a floppy haired villain in a badly fitting suit” on my festive bingo card – but, even with the joke going over their heads, the kids loved it and I have an idea that the adults did too.
The show itself is set 25 years after Brexit. Protest is forbidden, people are trying to be self-sufficient as the cost of living is so high (sound familiar?!). The aforementioned Boris the Cockroach (Ben Fox clearly revelling in his role) works for the evil Giant, who wants to turn “Lewishfarm” into a gold mine, which is very bad news for the bees, whose Queen (Siobhan Athwal) is part narrator and part magical fairy – she’s confident and charismatic and we’re in safe hands with her guiding the action.
Our hero, Jack, is played by Durone Stokes, who brings real presence and charm to this simple soul. He has great energy and is a strong singer. He’s well matched with best friend SJ (Evelyn Hoskins). SJ is a feminist and a bit of an eco warrior instead of the usual damsel in distress that you find in pantoland, and Hoskins is well cast in this feisty role – although I would have liked her to have a little more to do. She’s a great singer and it felt as if she was a little under-used.
Popular with the audience was Dame Dolores, Jack’s larger than life mother, played by Derek Elroy. He got the crowd going with some flirtation with an unsuspecting young man sitting near the front, throwing sweeties to the crowd and interacting with Caroline the Cow. He was at his best when allowed to go completely over the top but I did feel that, as Dames go, this was generally a little less OTT than usual and think his performance could have done with being even more chaotic!
The four piece band, under Musical Director Ben Goddard-Young, produced a good sound, but unfortunately the sound balance wasn’t great and at times the accompaniment overwhelmed the on-stage vocals. However, this didn’t seem to bother our young audience, who were thoroughly entertained, shouting and clapping along.
Overall, this is a colourful and high-energy panto (and did I mention loud?!), showing us a taste of the magic that Susie McKenna brings to the festive season. It’s her first year at the Broadway Theatre and a solid first offering, if not perhaps completely polished. The children loved every minute of it, and there’s more than enough to keep the adults entertained as well. The addition of a BSL Interpreter on stage was brilliant to see, demonstrating the theatre’s commitment to inclusivity. It’s great to see this beautiful venue playing its part at the heart of the local community once again.