REVIEW
★★★★★ 5/5
Jack and the Beanstalk
Chelmsford Theatre
Fri 1 Dec to Sun 7 Jan 2024
★★★★★ 5/5
Jack and the Beanstalk
Chelmsford Theatre
Fri 1 Dec to Sun 7 Jan 2024
On the day Storm Henk blitzed its way into the UK, Southend Theatre Scene pitched it’s umbrella, flew up into the sky and headed north to Chelmsford to see the city’s pantomime for 2023 - ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ - in the newly refurbished Chelmsford Theatre.
In what is clearly a large investment by the council, Chelmsford Theatres (including the former Cramphorn Theatre next door) have been redesigned, refurbished and the theatre experience completely rethought. Every part of the theatre has a modern yet elegantly retro feel and this really sets up the audience for a wonderful night at the theatre. From the moment you step foot into the auditorium, the classic pantomime feel is very present! A large projected logo dominates the stage and every so often, we hear thumps and growls from the giant to remind us who is in charge!
The show is cast perfectly - all the leads are wonderful in their roles and have a wonderful energy throughout. This production is produced without that classic headline celebrity lead instead favouring an all round awesome cast - and their skills really show throughout the production. They work so well as an ensemble and are supported by a team of singers and dancers. Whilst this cast is relatively small for a production of this standard, the stage is always full and you always have something to watch.
Jack, Silly Billy and Dame Trott have a good connective energy and this plays in some of the ‘play-along’ segments in the show. The 12-days-of-Christmas section ending in a good audience soaking was a roaring success (and screaming, screeching and shrieking ones too) and the tongue-twister bit was great. The wonder of a cast quite comfortable and skilled in pantomime performance means you never quite know whether mistakes are scripted or real; and this absolutely comes from a cast who support each other, has their backs and enjoys the moments. Indeed, one dance number saw Fleshcreep seamlessly fill in for a dancer with a stray microphone headset - so seamless that, unless you are watching every move like trying to catch out a magician, the action was not noticeable. Absolutely professional.
There was a clear warning in the introductory announcement reminding us to sit back, relax and enjoy the production.......unless, you’re a man in the first few rows. Cue Richard, our audience member who was playfully selected as the audience’s collective victim for the show. He played along wonderfully, even finishing off the final sing-a-long and the cast brought him into their world without any pressure or any embarrassment - this was a joy to see.
In what was a wonderful post-Christmas treat, the performance was well paced, flowed nicely throughout and had a modern selection of songs and dances for all of us to enjoy. The theatre was buzzing throughout and the energy came through. We’ll see you next year, Chelmsford - you really made us laugh!
Reviewer: Luke Mason
In what is clearly a large investment by the council, Chelmsford Theatres (including the former Cramphorn Theatre next door) have been redesigned, refurbished and the theatre experience completely rethought. Every part of the theatre has a modern yet elegantly retro feel and this really sets up the audience for a wonderful night at the theatre. From the moment you step foot into the auditorium, the classic pantomime feel is very present! A large projected logo dominates the stage and every so often, we hear thumps and growls from the giant to remind us who is in charge!
The show is cast perfectly - all the leads are wonderful in their roles and have a wonderful energy throughout. This production is produced without that classic headline celebrity lead instead favouring an all round awesome cast - and their skills really show throughout the production. They work so well as an ensemble and are supported by a team of singers and dancers. Whilst this cast is relatively small for a production of this standard, the stage is always full and you always have something to watch.
Jack, Silly Billy and Dame Trott have a good connective energy and this plays in some of the ‘play-along’ segments in the show. The 12-days-of-Christmas section ending in a good audience soaking was a roaring success (and screaming, screeching and shrieking ones too) and the tongue-twister bit was great. The wonder of a cast quite comfortable and skilled in pantomime performance means you never quite know whether mistakes are scripted or real; and this absolutely comes from a cast who support each other, has their backs and enjoys the moments. Indeed, one dance number saw Fleshcreep seamlessly fill in for a dancer with a stray microphone headset - so seamless that, unless you are watching every move like trying to catch out a magician, the action was not noticeable. Absolutely professional.
There was a clear warning in the introductory announcement reminding us to sit back, relax and enjoy the production.......unless, you’re a man in the first few rows. Cue Richard, our audience member who was playfully selected as the audience’s collective victim for the show. He played along wonderfully, even finishing off the final sing-a-long and the cast brought him into their world without any pressure or any embarrassment - this was a joy to see.
In what was a wonderful post-Christmas treat, the performance was well paced, flowed nicely throughout and had a modern selection of songs and dances for all of us to enjoy. The theatre was buzzing throughout and the energy came through. We’ll see you next year, Chelmsford - you really made us laugh!
Reviewer: Luke Mason
Photos by Aaron Crowe.
