Jack and his Giant Stalk at Brick Lane Music Hall Review
Photo by Lucy Hayes Photography.
Written by Joe H for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
The phrase Adult Panto covers a multitude of sins and, more often than not, is a warning that you’re in for an evening of smut, debauchery and crude comedy at the expense of any significant plot. The Brick Lane Music Hall’s annual Adult Panto – this year Jack and his Giant Stalk – is anything but that. It is funny and grown up, without being lewd. Playful, boisterous and rude without ever being disgusting. It is a masterclass in classic pantomime, with a cheeky glint in the eye, and a knowing wink to the audience.
Lucy Hayes’ script (Hayes also directs) is pacey, puny and playful, hitting every panto beat you could hope for, and incorporating tired panto routines with such vim and vigour that they feel brand new. When it was signalled that “If I Were Not Upon The Stage” was about to start, I clenched – PTSD from too many pantos which don’t understand physical comedy, slapstick and pace. But the Brick Lane version was so raucous and expertly executed the whole audience was in hysterics. The cast are carefully directed in how to give the audience permission and encouragement to engage, knowingly guiding the (plentiful) audience interaction, without ever feeling pushed to participate.
Every member of the cast brings something unique and irreplaceable to the company. I wouldn’t normally call-out the entire cast – but they deserve it. Josh Benson as Jack brings a ‘jack the lad’ energy, keeping the audience on side and impressing with his physical humour and circus skills. Charlotte Fage as villain Poison Ivy treads the perfect line of panto evil without being performative or forced, and managed the difficult feat of encouraging audience interaction as the villain in a positive way without stepping out of character. Samantha McNeil’s ever put-upon Jill is confident and independent, without undermining the plot that Jack needs a Jill to save. She takes her opportunity to show off her impressive vocals in the second act with gusto, and absolutely deserves the applause she receives before the song has even finished. Jack Pallister merrily guides us through the story as a camp, tongue in cheek panto fairy. He commands the stage with such comfort and camp glamour you could be forgiven for thinking that Julian Clary had stepped in for the night. As Daisy the Cow, Lucy Reed brings immense energy, pizzazz and showbiz to the production and is an absolute joy to watch. Her ABBA medley in the second act is genius, and she commands the stage with ease. Hayley-Jo Whitney as Ophelia Loosebottom is an excellent foil to Fage’s Poison Ivy, with pitch perfect comic timing, spectacular vocals and hilarious comedy sidekick menace. The trio between Whitney, Fage and McNeil in the second act is an absolute powerhouse performance.
As the Dame in an Adult Panto, Andrew Robley has an extremely difficult tightrope to tread. Innuendo without filth; suggestive but not smutty; rude but not revolting. Robley is such a consummate professional that he commands every moment he is on the stage with ease, grace, gravitas and joy. Under ginormous wigs, he stands tall, overseeing the whole show. When he’s on stage, no matter what happens, you know you’re in the safest hands. And when Vincent Hayes MBE is on stage as Willy Trott, anything can happen. The joy of Hayes’ performance – and partnership with Robley – is that it is genuinely impossible to tell whether what happens was meant to, or even whether Hayes knew he was going to do it before it happened. And that is the magic of true panto – real (or scripted) chaos, which the audience and actors can share in together, which is all too often lost in mass produced, slick, glossy pantomimes. Hayes ensures that every single performance is different, that every audience experiences something special, and the whole cast is with him all the way.
The design of the production should also be commended. With such a small space, Chris Floyd’s set transports use to various locations using curtains, flats, portals and doorways, in a creative and fluid way which never feels inhibited by the size of the space. There is still work to be done on the lighting – often we find ourselves sitting in prolonged blackout, and the restrictions of the rig mean that the flashing light for the villain and fairy’s entrances feel like a one-bulb strobe rather than a momentary flicker of light. The musical direction is slick, and helps to maintain pace and motion throughout the show with clever underscoring.
And then there’s the costumes. Syldon Costumes, Frank Kershaw and Sue Penderson have done an absolutely phenomenal job. Not just in making sure Dame Trott arrives in a different dress for every entrance – even if just for three lines – but that each dress was bigger and better than the one before. And as if that wasn’t enough, all the other characters had variations on a theme, with colour and pattern changing costumes each throughout, from the different coloured cloaks for Poison Ivy, to the colour-matched hems and waistbands on Daisy, every item, every moment, every accessory was intentional, considered and spectacular.
The Brick Lane Music Hall is a true family of people highly skilled in their craft, coming together to put on high quality productions full of heart and passion. Every single member of staff got a shout-out, from the FOH team to the kitchen staff who were all named and celebrated for the role they each play in keeping the venue alive and thriving. Included in the ticket price for Jack and his Giant Stalk is a delicious three course meal, served smoothly and efficiently by a capable, calm and considerate team. The food was hot, fresh and clearly made with love by a team who understand how to mass cater without having to skimp on quality or presentation.
All in all, Jack and his Giant Stalk is a joyous evening of quality – quality food, quality service, quality pantomime in a beautiful venue, and I would defy anybody not to enjoy themselves.
Plays at Brick Lane Music Hall until 7 March
★★★★
