WHAT a great start to the festive season thanks to the Oxford Playhouse pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk.
We just love pantomimes, all the slap-stick and silliness makes you feel good and we always float out of the theatre.
And this year, Jack and the Beanstalk, did not let us down.
For the third year running Steve Marmion has been at the helm.
He cleverly uses well-known pop tunes and a bit of Grime to help tell the story of naive Jack, his sister Simone, their mother Dame Trott, cow Jagger and a handful of magic beans.
We join the tale as an evil giant has stolen all the children of Oxford and kept them prisoner in his kingdom above the clouds.
With the help of his baddie wife Dame Judy Hench, played brilliantly by Amrou Al-Kadhi who has a first from Cambridge in “insults”, they collect taxes by controlling the weather.
But when Jack throws the magic beans they start to grow and grow and grow into a giant beanstalk, which leads Jack on the adventure of a lifetime.
The show is full of gags – Brexit and tax havens get a mention, as well as top tunes and all the pantomime fun you expect, including the chance to join in with the song Chop 500 Sticks, a take on The Proclaimers song I’m Gonna Be which has the lyrics I would walk 500 miles’.
It also includes some twists you don’t expect, including the identity of the giant.
Watch out for Jennifer Wakefield, who plays Jill, as she makes her professional debut after leaving her Oxfordshire teaching career for one on the stage.
If you get the chance, go and enjoy the show.
The Oxford Playhouse has just announced Steve Marmion will write and direct next year’s pantomime Dick Whittington and His Cat.
Tickets for Jack and the Beanstalk at Oxford Playhouse start at £15 and are available from the Ticket Office on 01865 305305 or view oxfordplayhouse.com
