The Stage

Jack and the Beanstalk

Published Monday 21 December 2009 at 11:40 by Jon Holliday

Over the past nine years, this company has established an enviable reputation for family entertainment, enabling the annual panto to tour from mid-November to late February. This year’s offering is certainly up to standard, with lots of knockabout fun, jokes, topical telly references, songs, dances, so many opportunities for audience participation, all without losing the appeal of the fairy tale. Heading the cast as Jack is Mike Doyle, whose comedy is spot-on. He handles the romantic side effectively too, his solos showing yet again what a fine voice he has. Contributing to the fun is James Caredig as Dame Trot, abrasive and very much the chap in outrageous frocks. Rhian Griffith scores as the Princess, her duets with Doyle being a real highlight. The whip-cracking Fleshcreep of Richard Tunley earns his boos with a forceful performance, while Bethan Thomas as the cute Fairy possesses a piercing laugh that would drown a train whistle. Ian Phillips supports as King Crumble. The New Cottage dancers perform well-drilled routines, Rachel Ford and Nicky Jenkins essay Cerys the cow and the uncredited Giant Blunderbore roars a lot of fee-fi-fo-fums when he smells the blood of a Welshman. Well, we are in Wales, after all.