[Ad- gifted experience]Â It’s Christmas time, and one of the very traditional things to do in England is go to a Panto. They are such a magical experience, so I was very excited to be invited back to the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, where I saw my first Panto, this time for Jack and the Beanstalk. Obviously, Jack and the Beanstalk is a classic fairy tale, with a story everyone knows and loves. At the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, before the play, we actually checked out their exhibition of drawings for the Dame’s dress, which included an entry from Amelia! She had entered and it was good enough to be presented on the showcase, which is always such a honor.
When it came to the show itself, Jack and the Beanstalk at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch was very fun. There were lots of classic, expected Panto features; everyone “boo’ed” the baddie, we were given lines to shout when the dame came onto the stage, there was lots of addressing the audience. Dames often poke fun at someone in the crowd, and this dame did exactly that with a random guy called Steven, who was mentioned loads of time for the rest of the play. It was very funny. One of the unexpected stars of the show was Pat the Hyland Cow, who was so adorable. You could even get a little Hyland cow plushie in the lobby, to remember the show by. There were funny musical numbers around this cow and it was all just so good.
I do feel there were a lot of characters in Jack and the Beanstalk – maybe a few too many, especially as on opening night, they seemed to be having some sound issues. There was a live band, and Jack and Jill (two of the stars of the show) did often play instruments and sing. Sometimes, the microphones for the characters to talk were delayed, so we couldn’t hear it at first, or cut off when the music was being played. I do hope this is adjusted for future performances – as it would really help with understanding what is going on a bit better and hearing the jokes.
This Panto did do the classic 12 days of Christmas song, along with different items that were funny, which they stole from the Giant. They also had a special surprise for the audience, which was even more fun! Another classic thing, is the bench, where someone is stealing some of the characters. I did very much find this funny, and loved hearing the audience sing along. The staging and costumes were also fantastic, with lots of beautiful uses of the depth of the stage. I do love puppets and they did make an appearance as well. We very much enjoyed Jack and the Beanstalk at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch – it’s great for families and for those who want to get into the Christmas Spirit.
You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!