Jack and the Beanstalk. To 15 January.
Salisbury
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
by Joanna Read and Stuart Thomas
Salisbury Playhouse To 15 January 2005
Times vary, contact Box Office.
BSL signed 15 January 2.15 p.m.
Runs 2hr 20min One Interval
TICKETS: 01722 320333
wwww.salisburyplayhouse.com
Review Mark Courtice 8 January
Charming and good natured panto as it ought to be. This year's pantomime at Salisbury comes from much the same team as the last three. And why not, when they have got so much so right? All the pleasures are here, including sparkling design, clear story telling, great good nature, and excellent standards from cast and production.
Designer Richard Foxton has used a heavy hand with the glitter and everything charms, from the village sets of the opening to the lovely flower filled giant's garden that opens act 2. There is a splendid giant whose huge feet and hands are beautifully controlled by the crew. The busy stage is full of neat touches like the clever conceit of using the fallen giant's hand and arm for the walkdown at the end. Costumes are colourful and arresting.
The neat and effective script has the traditional elements of a proper panto, including a satisfactorily messy custard pie scene (it is a measure of the subtle updating that it's now cheesecake), a lurid villain, a pair of earnestly incompetent side kicks and a proper dame.
Caroline Leslie's production uses all this to advantage; everything is tightly organised, looks good and is supported by neat choreography and short but effective fights. Nothing is skimped and the various elements of music, clowning, gender bending and mayhem are all skilfully marshalled in to a satisfactory whole.
The performances are excellent too. David Ashley as Dame Mary with a psychic hot line to Barbra Streisand gives a really clever performance. He is a tall man, younger than the usual run of dames and uses his height and energy to play the balance between male and female, creating light and shade, and pathos and bombast to make a proper character. His lust, for instance, is funny because it is plausible.
Tom Edden's purple villain, comically rubber legged, has energy to spare, if not the confidence to work the audience at his leisure. With charming support from Erin Brodie and Sophie Shaw (taking Jack and Jill just seriously enough) and Andrew Macklin's daft Simple Simon, a young cast give an audience of all ages a lot to enjoy.
Fairy Foxglove: Devon Black
Simple Simon/Foxglove: Andrew Macklin
Jack: Erin Brodie
Dame Mary: David Ashley
Squire Squeezy/Poppy/Voice of the Giant: Peter Mair
Jill/Daisy: Sophie Shaw
Mutt/Milky White: Pascale Burgess
Mysterioso/Hendrix: Tom Edden
Jeff/Milky White: Jamie R Bradley
Keyboards: Andrew Allpass
Drums and Percussion: Dean Blake
Chorus from:
Hilary Jane Corden, Alexandra Edwards, Jamie Jordan Eldridge, Josephine Esser, Iona Flavell, Hollie Ware, Emyr Davies, Imogen May Irvin, Runa May Osman, Joe Rose, Aine Tiernan, Bliss Winder.
Director: Caroline Leslie
Designer: Richard Foxton
Lighting: Peter Hunter
Musical Director: Andrew Allpass
Choreographer: Charlotte Gorton
Fight Director: Philip D'Orleans
2005-01-15 00:31:06