JACK AND HIS BIG STALK

ADULT PANTO (2009)

From the sublime to the rediculous - Stage 1 matinee followed by the early evening performance of this panto for adults.

The script was very well written by Richard Lovelock, who also directed, and along with his team he came up with another winner.

Colourful sets and costumes, plenty of vulgarity (as befits the occasion) and some very good performances.

John O'Leary, as the Giant's henchman, gave a wonderfully camp performance and really excelled himself, while Michalle Rolt was a very rude fariy - loved the bells! These two also performed a memorable song together, taking the mickey out of pantomime songs in general. Very well done.

Richard Alexander was a great Dame. He really threw himself into the part - literally in come places - and he gave us the exuberance needed for a very vulgar lady.

Tom Neil, a new face to Griffins, was a superb Jack and I hope to see him in many more local productions. I'm fraid we all laughed unashamedly when the fairy walloped him in the eye with her wand, but I do hope it wasn't too painful and hasn't done any permenant damage to a very expressive face.

Cheryl Evans was a very naive Jill, who both sang and acted well. Her moments with John O'Leary particularly were very nicely done.

If I have one complaint, it was that there wasn't enough opportunity for the audience to heckle and get more involved, but having said that the whole show was very slick and great fun.

My other observation was that there was no background to the scene changes, which although fairly fast, would have benefited from some sort of background music/sound just to draw the whole production together.

The lighting desgin from Fred Rayment enhanced the settings and had imagination and colour.

I loved the transformation ballet scene. As a device to get the beanstalk on and growing it was inspired and hillarious.

The Assumption Song was also incredibly funny and well-written and performed extremely well by the ladies of the chorus.

I must give a special mention to Terry Hayden, who died in Act One Scene One, and proceeded to litter the stage for the rest of the show so that the cast had to work around and over him. It was very well thought out, adding much hilarity to the proceedings.

The music was well-prepared, even if Colin Fraser was absent for several rehearsals because of commitments with Andrew Lloyd Webber and BBC TV. But the cast again came up trumps, even giving us some harmony in places.

Katy Elliott, in her first outing as choreographer for a Griffins production, gave us good movement, which was fitting for the music and the performers.

Once again, I thououghly enjoyed the whole adult panto experience. No-one let the production down and, although very vulgar in come places, it didn't offend - at least it didn't offend me!

I laughed till I cried in places, always a sign of a job well done.

I think the Little Theatre proved to be a good setting for this production - and once again the Griffins pulled out a great show.