This is the tenth year that writer/director Phil Clark and his trusty dame, William Elliott, have provided the pantomime at the Everyman and during that time the shows have gone from strength to strength and become a bit of an institution. For the past five years they have been joined by Tweedy the Clown, less of an institution, more of national treasure elect.
This year’s panto, Jack and the Beanstalk, is the current one of the rotating cycle of five titles which the Everyman produces and is much better than the previous one in 2011. What I like about Phil’s pantomimes is that he eschews the tried (tired?) and tested formula of employing some obscure celebrity off the telly that no-one has ever heard of to appear in his shows in favour of real actors – and his shows are all the better for that.
And a fairly distinguished cast of actors it is too. Since his last appearance in an Everyman panto in 2013, Andrew Westfield has been working extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and at Chichester while newcomer Gillian Elisa, who plays the Eco Fairy, was in the West End playing Grandma in Billy Elliot for five years.
Tweedy also provides the warmup act in the auditorium and on stage but not until he has done a pre-warmup warmup in the street outside and in the foyer. The kids love him and squeal with joy before the show has even started as he takes his pet iron, Keith, for a walk on a lead through the dress circle and stalls.
Once the performance starts and the glittery front-cloth rises to reveal the obligatory town square opening scene it is clear that Jack and the Beanstalk is a going to be a traditional pantomime in every sense of the word. While not quite a cast of thousands there is certainly no shortage of townsfolk and principals which firmly establishes the impression of lavishness – I calculated there were twenty-six performers on stage for the big production numbers (that’s counting Buttercup the cow as two).
The show is very much carried by William Elliott as Dame Trott and Tweedy as Sillie Billie Tweedy but there is some excellent additional talent on stage. Ms Elisa is a nice maternal flying fairy, keen on all things ecological and I really liked Andrew Whitehead’s rather madcap Mayor. There is never much to get your teeth into with either principal boy or girl but Frankie Jones as Jack and another newcomer, Natalie Taylor Gray as Jill, made a handsome pair.
One of the best parts for any actor in any panto, one with certainly the most meat on, is the villain and after his triumph three years ago Andrew Westfield returns as Fleshcreep, right-hand-man to the infamous giant. Probably the best scene of the show was at the castle gates, all towering spires and turrets straight out of Dracula, with Mr Westfield giving his Bat Out of Hell surrounded by lots of dancing . . .err . . . bats, enthusiastically danced by local students from the Janet Marshall Dance Studios and from Morea Performing Arts.
Even if you manage to avoid third-rate celebrities, pantomimes always have to have local and topical references, so there was mention of the Cheltenham Banksy – now sadly officially declared to be no more, it has ceased to be, expired and gone to meet its maker – and green issues. And I liked the idea of the Star Wars tribute with Mr Elliott dressed up as Princess Leia and Tweedy as Yoda as they searched for the kidnapped Jill high above the clouds.
There was some fine lighting by Michael E Hall and the costumes and sets by Gloucester based Charles Cusick Smith and Charles R Daniels were nicely done – I particularly liked the very green and realistic beanstalk. All in all, as we have rightly come to expect, a very enjoyable traditional pantomime. ★★★★☆ Michael Hasted 26th November 2016
Picture by Antony Thompson – Thousand Word Media www.thousandwordmedia.com
