Review: JACK & THE BEANSTALK, Lichfield Garrick, December 8 2015

Old favourite Jack and the Beanstalk is Lichfield Garrick's pantomime this year; jam-packed full of content, comedy and catchy musical numbers delivered by a talented, enthusiastic ensemble cast. Ian Adams returns once again to write, direct and star as Dame Trixie Trott this festive season.

John Brooking's set is high quality and the costumes are stunning. Awash with colour, there is always something to catch your eye. There are a huge number of outfits lending themselves to a substantial amount of scenes with seamless transitions between them. From the village to the Giant's kitchen to a plane even (!), the story moves with ease from one location to another. Gobos and moving lights feature in abundance within Jonathan Martlew's lighting design and overall is very complimentary to the feel of the show.

Adams' script is so crammed full of gags, you can barely catch a breath between them! Admittedly his character gets the majority of these lines but he is very generous in supplying the entire company with good material. Sometimes the ensemble (and children) within a pantomime can get lost and are merely there to pad out the visuals but the whole cast are on an equal playing field here which is a joy to witness. Furthermore, the Dame generally has the costumes and the laughs but doesn't really feature heavily in dance numbers for example - this is not the case for Ian Adams! He throws himself into Julie Paton's choreography and could not be singled out for less ability within a chorus line. An incredibly talented man and all-rounder who certainly knows how to keep the sponsors sweet! So much so, there is even an entire musical number dedicated to one of them - and a good one at that! The only slightly random segment of the show is the hoedown at the end, featuring a long medley of country songs. Although thoroughly enjoyable as I am quite partial to a bit of Patsy Cline, this did seem a little misplaced and lengthy.

The small band can be seen onstage for large amounts of the show and are drawn into the scenes by costume and with occasional dialogue. Dave Culling's musical direction is strong and makes the most of only a few musicians. There are some good adaptations of well-known pop and musical songs with a big nod to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in particular, featuring 'Teamwork' and 'You Two'. This is also reflected in a couple of set elements.

The company as a whole are very strong. Taking on the Giant's minion Hemlock is Graham Cole OBE, widely recognised having starred in ITV's The Bill for many years. He makes a sinister villain and has the audience in the palm of his hand. The title role of Jack is played by the very handsome Dominic Adam Griffin who is the perfect hero and demonstrates terrific vocals. Jo-Anne Stevens is his counterpart as the Princess (Jill); always a slightly annoying role in any pantomime but Griffin and Stevens complement each other remarkably well. Jordan Ginger as Simon Trott is also very endearing and as the Buttons-esque equivalent, it is nice to see him also have a happy ending for a change.

Unadulterated delight from start to finish.

Jack and the Beanstalk plays at the Lichfield Garrick until 3rd January 2016.

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