Jack and The Beanstalk @ The Kings Theatre
The Pantomime is a long standing tradition for me and my family, it kicks off Christmas and embodies the joy and emotion of the season.
It’s been 3 years since I have been to The Pantomime and the theatre and it’s been greatly missed but this year was made extra special because I was able to bring my boys to experience the beauty of The Kings Theatre and the magic of the stage.
This years Panto is Jack and The Beanstalk. Flowing through the traditional story with the addition of witty comedy and songs that will make you dance and sing along, we see Jack (played by X Factors Sean Smith) on his mission to defeat the Giant and save the day to win the Princess’s hand in marriage (played by Love Islands Amy Hart).
Throughout the pantomime you have this brilliant balance of wit and silly making it enjoyable for adults and children. The Dame also known as the Fat Bloke in a Dress or Dame Trott is played by Jack Edwards who pulls out all the stops in costume and in humour. Paired with the son Billy Trott, the pair of them will have you laughing out loud with punchy one liners as well as some local digs and the chemistry between them.
Alongside all the silliness the talent of the cast is obvious, vocals from Sean Smith (Jack) were high energy and clear and Mariene Little Hill who plays Fairy Pea Pod blew me away not only with her stunning green dress but also her rendition of ‘When you believe’ the show is full of modern pop songs with great choreography and dancers. The staging was impressive and its very clear there’s been a lot of attention to detail in the curation.
I was unsure whether our 2 year old would sit through the entire show but after a first half of singing, booing, clapping and a large costume cow he was asking for more at the interval. We were glad to have stuck around for the second half to watch the giant make his entrance and for Jack to rescue his Princess with a few more songs thrown in and further audience engagement.
I was glad to see The Kings Theatre traditional Ghost Bench scene and not forgetting the 12 Days Of Christmas gag which has always been a favourite of mine. This year comes with more surprises and a scene that is still making me laugh at the thought of it – but I’m not going to tell you what because you need to see it for yourself!
Maybe its because we missed out on the panto last year due to restrictions, or because it was the first time I got to see my boys face light up because of the magic of the theatre. Maybe it’s because it was so wonderfully put together - the night is one I hope I will never forget.
Jack and The Beanstalk is at The Kings Theatre until 2nd January 2022, tickets are still available at time of publishing but some dates do have limited availability. Book your tickets by clicking the link below
Jack and the Beanstalk | The Giant Pompey Panto - Kings Theatre Portsmouth (kingsportsmouth.co.uk)
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