Review: JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, Beacon Arts Centre

This year's pantomime at Greenock's Beacon Arts Centre is Jack and the Beanstalk. It is a co-creation by writer Alan McHugh and director Beth Morton. 

Dame Trott (Jimmy Chisholm) is a poor wee widow wumman and things are so bad that she needs to sell her beloved cow Moo Moo. Her hapless son Wacky Willy (Lee Samuel) takes the cow to market but falls for a scam along the way that sees him receive magic beans instead of the gold coins they need.

In the one and only fun twist in this show, brave Jack (Shannon Swan) is actually Jacqueline, Dame Trott's daughter. When a mysterious beanstalk appears in their garden she takes it upon herself to climb it and take on the giant at the top. 

The Beacon is normally a highlight of my festive calendar and its hard to comprehend that it has gone quite so wrong this year. The show is completely flat, the plot is weak and the script is dire. The cast are incredibly talented and have worked so well together year after year but thanks to the writing their efforts are wasted. 

The musical numbers are decent but too few and far between. All the elements of a classic panto are there but none of the joy. Lee Samuel is giving it his all, trying to get the audience hyped up with a bit of call and response but the usual brilliance of the double act with Jimmy Chisholm just isn't there. Another treasure of the Beacon panto is Mark Cox and Jane McCarry but once again their script gives them nothing to work with.

On a more positive note, the set design is lovely and the costumes are brilliant. There are 'it's behind yous' and shout-outs and other things for the little ones to get into. Perhaps it is only such a disappointment in comparison to the quality of previous years. 
 

Credit: Christopher Bowen Photography for Beacon Arts Centre 

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