Jack and the Beanstalk
The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre has gained itself a well earned reputation as one of the best pantomimes to see in London and they have again this year put on a wonderful reimagined production of a classic story.
The setting has been moved to ‘Fleshcreep Academy’ a school run by the villainous Fleshceep (John Partridge) who is a demon headmaster, he keeps the kids in line by threatening them with being sent to ‘The Giant’ for punishment. Our hero Jack (Joey James) is a shy boy who mainly communicates through the use of a sock puppet named ‘Sockface’, his sister Jill (Sienna Widd) is a sassy firecracker who wants to take on the world. Momma Trott (Sam Harrison) is their outlandish mother, who has recently taken over as the school dinner lady.
Written by Sonia Jalaly and directed by Nicholai La Barrie this show is wonderfully progressive while not feeling too intense on the political side. It encourages us to remember our imaginations and to use the magic they can create to make the world a better place!
Visually this is a fantastic show, designed by Georgia Lowe it is a neon paradise, the stage is fronted with a huge ‘Imagination-meter’ which keeps score of how well the characters are using their imaginations. Also the costumes for Momma Trott in particular stand out, a good Panto Dame is made with their costumes and these do not disappoint!
Jade Hackett is fantastic as the Fairy Godfather, bringing wonderful humour to the role while also pushing forward the morals of the piece. They capture the audience from the moment they enter and keep us enthralled throughout.
The ensemble members are definitely stars of this show, made up of Gabriela Benedetti, Harriet Caplan-Dean, Robert Donnelly and Rachel Seirian. They are all fantastic performers and often scene stealers in the best way possible! Robert Donnelly in particular has the audience in fits of laughter with their ‘business’ in the background with the character of ‘Martin’.
As with most pantomimes, the music is made up of popular music with lyrics changed to fit the particular story, this works well but sadly at several points the band overpowered the vocals and therefore some of the storytelling was lost.
Overall this is absolutely a pantomime worth seeing this season, Lyric Hammersmith are keeping this long standing festive tradition fresh and exciting!!
This show was reviewed on the 22nd November at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre where it runs until the 4th January 2026. Tickets available here : Jack and the Beanstalk - Lyric Hammersmith
Review written by Rosie Browne
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Photo credit: Manuel Harlan
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