Jack and the Beanstalk
Not only is this my first Norwich panto, it’s my first ever panto and what a brilliant introduction. Dame Nigella Trottalot played by Richard Gauntlett is also, I discover, the writer and director of the show, though you could say his formidable presence on the stage gives away his credentials to some extent. His sidekick and son Silly Billy, played by Ben Langley, is a tour de force with his Norman Wisdom mannerisms, while their playful interactions keep you glued throughout.
The panto is Richard’s own take on Jack and the Beanstalk, with a Wild West theme except these cowboys are more like East Anglian farmers, with lots of references to the different areas in the region to keep the audience laughing. This personal touch is no doubt something that helps to make Richard’s shows stand out from the rest.
The town where the story is set is called Nodge City, which when rolled off the tongue sounds like Norwich City. There’s Dolly the Fairy, or Dolly Parton the fairy? She guides us through the trials and tribulations of the town’s dealings with the baddie Phineas P Stinkworthy played by the formidable Wayne Sleep, as he tries to destroy it in order to get hold of the gold that’s hidden on their land but which they know nothing about. Sleep does make a very dastardly baddie, and looks great as he pirouettes off the stage.
The Dame also has another son called Jack played by David Burilin and the whole family live on an Egg Ranch called Trottalot with their chickens, and cow Daisy Bell. With bad fortune coming their way, thanks to Stinkworthy, Jack goes off to sell Daisy Bell and gets conned into giving her away for a large tin of baked beans. From here you might have an idea what happens next; there is of course a giant – it’s actually giant sized and remarkably real looking. Overall, the set is imaginative and colourful and the costumes are wonderfully flamboyant, especially the Dame’s.
I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you but just to say the ending’s pretty exciting and just when you think it’s all over, it seems to keep rolling. The show feels part pantomime and part musical making an ideal night out for all the family. It has all the usual elements - the kids will love it, but the parents won’t be left twiddling their thumbs. They’ll be laughing at the ad-libs, the local references (my favourite being the quip about Norwich’s one-way system) and smiling at the love story between Jolene (played by Mira Ormala) and Jack, especially when they ride off into the sunset on a wind-up wooden horse.
