The Lyric Hammersmith’s Jack and the Beanstalk delivers a sparkling mix of modern satire, classic panto magic and show-stealing performances, resulting in a riotously funny, big-hearted evening for all ages.
Jack and the Beanstalk at the Lyric is on now until January 4. Tickets from £10.
OUR VERDICT
Manuel Harlan
At the ever-buzzy Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, panto supremos Nicholai La Barrie (director) and Sonia Jalaly (writer) haul the traditional panto — Jack and the Beanstalk — gleefully into the 21st century with some ingenious modern twists. The result is an irresistibly joyful production that will delight panto devotees and the not-so-surers alike. Think beanstalk meets Beyoncé…
Jalaly’s tale unfolds in Hammersmith, of course, inside the joyless Fleshcreep Academy, where singing, dancing and fun are all strictly forbidden. Presiding over this misery is Fleshcreep (John Partridge), who struts about in a salami-printed suit while channelling just a hint of a certain Russian leader... He’s a genuinely formidable baddie, thanks to Partridge’s gloriously unhinged, high-energy performance and the make-up team, who sculpt his face into villainously sharp points and angles.
Manuel Harlan
He slithers across the stage gobbling meat in a MEGA (Make Education Great Again…) cap, dishing out punishments while belting — or rather, barking — “Give it to me, Ofsted!” to the tune of The Offspring’s Pretty Fly (For a White Guy).
The school’s two newest pupils — Jack (Joey James) and the brilliantly sassy Jill (Sienna Widd) — are promptly packed off to ‘the giant’ as punishment. Said giant turns out not to be a towering ogre but a vast computer system that feeds on children’s imaginations. Gulp.
Joey James is marvellous as the loveable, anxious Jack, who turns to a sock puppet whenever the world feels too much. You’re rooting for him from the start. James slips effortlessly from tender, beautifully sung moments to rapping like a superstar, charting Jack’s journey from timidity to triumph with real warmth and likability.
Manuel Harlan
Catchy pop hits arrive one after another — Beyoncé, Raye, Chappell Roan, The White Stripes and more — much to the audience’s delight. Kayla Lomas-Kirton’s slick choreography is delivered with ease by the talented, cheerful ensemble. The beanstalk reveal is a touch anticlimactic, but the sinister ‘face’ of the giant and a malfunctioning vending machine more than compensate.
And then there’s the Fairy Godfather, the glittering heart of the whole affair. Jade Hackett delivers one of the best performances I’ve seen on stage all year — in a panto or otherwise. She is a glorious blend of comedy, tenderness and sheer physical magic. Her World of Pure Imagination number had the audience utterly transfixed.
Manuel Harlan
Equally marvellous is Momma Trott — Jack and Jill’s mum and Fleshcreep Academy’s magnificently chaotic new dinner lady. The supremely talented Sam Harrison was, quite simply, born for damehood. He had big stilettos to fill at the Lyric, and he more than rises to the occasion, storming the stage in a parade of eye-popping costumes, singing, dancing and sashaying as though his life depends on it.
His romance with the Fairy Godfather plays out hilariously, and his suggestion that a tie in the second act’s children’s competition should be settled with a fight to the death was another particular highlight.
This panto is a riotous romp — all sparkle, silliness and pure, unadulterated joy from start to finish. There’s a generous helping of tradition (‘He’s behind you!’, etc, a cheery sing-along and a few old-fashioned gags) blended with a brilliant modern soundtrack and the kind of clever topical references that Jalaly handles so well — a Coldplay concert moment and a Lily Allen album nod are particularly sharp.
It’s a show pitched perfectly for all ages: clever, witty, never too schmaltzy and, above all, unmissable festive fun.
Lyric Hammersmith
Lyric Square, King Street, City of London, W6 0QL
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