Reviewed by Keith Pollard
Wow! The Panto Group often punches well above its weight, and this year's offering, 'Jack and the Beanstalk', was an outstanding example of the high value added, as Jennifer Annetts' direction presented every ounce of fun, audience participation, menace and romance from a first rate script, leading to a couple of triumphant hours of quality involvement and escapism. The pace of each scene was neatly judged and the attack and engagement captivated everyone in the audience.
Leading the fun was Tom Miller's Simple Simon with ever-present drive and energy - even when he unwittingly joined nature's has-beans. Highly effective were Steve Hill's likeable, slapstickable Dame Dimple, and Kerry Gentleman's silkily evil baddie witch Picalilli, and her sidekick Rancid the Ratman from the highly energetic Scott Hollands, always dynamically and brilliantly watchable.
An excellent pair of 'broker's men', Snatchet and Scarper, came from Ben Burford and Chris Goring. The royals were in the hands of Peter Hogg's bumbling King Crumble and Queen Apricot from Wendy Hatch, trying to keep the king error free, plus the hear-ye authority of Oliver Gronow's Humphrey. Principal Boy and Girl Jack and Princess Charlotte from Lola Catt and Amelia Glazier, experienced though still young players, are developing nicely as extremly useful performers with each passing panto. Penny Kenward could always be relied upon to come twirling on to negate Piccalilli's evil, and Sam Burford's giant presence frightened many in the cast, Charlotte Hogg and Tabatha Cowley - who were good last year as Dumpling the horse - had been promoted to be the vital-to-the-plot cow, Buttermilk.
Libby Annetts' choreography and movement were well-planned and executed, with major box steps consigned to the Shadows, and the dancers' confidence meant that not one of them ever took a surreptitious glance at a neighbour to see which arm or leg to move, a trait which is usually omnipresent in village pantos. Equally effective and engaging were the young con-dancing chorus, another clutch of probable stars of tomorrow (though Amy Godfrey has been there and done it already, while debutant Jim Thompson conquered another challenge).
Musical direction was Libby's too, and it was a strong feature this year, especially Scott, Ben and Chris' bobbing up and down song. Keith Miller's sound was, as ever, almost another character in it's own right, and the lighting by Rose Cawte enhanced the action nicely.
The costume plot at Fairlight has been admirable for years, and Shelia Fellows-Turnbull's outfits here fitted the actors out perfectly. Roger Bird with others constructed the settings and then staged and changed them.
Kizzy Glazier masterminded the props, after George Hensher had made them. Sharon Hollands did the make-up, while Charlotte Eastes did the wake-up - she was the not-much-used prompt!
Roll on the next one! We can hardly bear the wait!!