The Courtyard
Herefordshire's Centre for the ArtsJack and the Beanstalk 2008 – The Stage
Monday 1 December 2008 at 11:50 by Ian Barge
Anyone baffled by dodgy derivatives, depressed by credit crunching or outraged by short selling should hurry to the Courtyard, Hereford. The company’s 11th pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, is a hot toddy for a shivering world, a true transport of delight.
Lyndsay Maples shapes the story poignantly and pointedly – a ruthless property developer threatens Jack and his mother with eviction.
True to form, the Courtyard shows its passionate engagement with the Hereford community. The cohort of seasoned professionals, all on crackling form, is brilliantly complemented by a local children’s dance troupe. The sense of shared imaginative excitement is as contagious as the choreography is sharp. The Courtyard’s deserved reputation for stunning special effects and sets is enhanced by a magnificent beanstalk, the growth rate of which Alistair Darling could only dream about, and some mesmeric ultra-violet visuals. As for the lonely, largely misunderstood giant – a theatrical and technical tour de force – even the Fownhope Brownies were thunderstruck.
The acting across the board is irresistible. Rob Swinton’s Dame Cherry Sponge is a masterclass in itself. Maples is as touching as the good Fairy Cake as she was electrifying in her ten previous incarnations as wicked witch. This is panto at its warmest and most winning.
wicked panto loved it every bit