Jack and the Beanstalk

Published Wednesday 23 December 2009 at 16:05 by Ben Sharratt

‘Girl and boy invited on stage’ is usually the obligatory footnote to a pantomime, not its highlight. With Duo’s Jack and the Beanstalk, this component was not only very funny and masterfully managed by Carl Johns as Simple Simon, but it brought warmth, lightness of touch and gentleness of pace to a show which requires a bit more of all three.

From the outset, the pace is marooned somewhere between relentless and rushed in the haste to make it to the next gag. Ex-Coronation Street favourite Ken Morley, as Dame Trott, made an impact in an array of outlandish outfits, but it was disappointing not to see him get more space to show off his comedic talent. Meanwhile, Antony Costa of boy band Blue has natural presence and energy, but a little less geezer and a little more charming good guy would do his Jack some favours.

James Mackenzie, best known from CBBC’s Raven, makes an engaging baddie in the shape of Fleshcreep and genuinely seems to be enjoying himself, as does the aforementioned Johns, an accomplished specialist of the panto genre. Carina Gillespie shows off a fine set of lungs as Princess Tamara. Credit too to Daniel Endresz, who draws on considerable stage craft to bring the gargantuan giant to life.

By East Anglian panto standards, this is a star-studded affair. If everyone relaxes a little and finds their own - and the audience’s - rhythm, these stars might just find themselves twinkling more brightly.