Jack and the Beanstalk at the Alhambra Theatre Bradford Review
Jack and the Beanstalk
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
12 December 2015 to 24 January 2016
Reviewed by Rachel Carpenter
After parking only a measly five minute walk away from the Alhambra which was subsidised; we arrived with three very excited children. The first thing we were greeted with was a snow machine creating an illusion of a snowy Christmas night. This only added to the children’s anticipation. Once inside there was a local school choir singing a mixture of pop and Christmas songs, Santa was also circulating for photo opportunities; all adding to the festive spirit for everyone.
My three children are five, nine and thirteen and I was initially dubious how they would all embrace the experience; bearing in mind teenagers don’t find anything entertaining, however I was pleasantly surprised!
Throughout the pantomime I kept checking my children’s reactions and I was greeted by three smiling faces… in fact at one point the nine year old was crying with laughter at the cheesy jokes! A pantomime could not be one without cheesy jokes and lots of one liners!
The whole pantomime was full of audience participation as you would expect; you may need to dust off your singing voices in preparation. The show was full of both adult and child slapstick humour, even though some jokes went above their head (as you would expect!) there was plenty of child friendly humour and added sound affects to grab their attention.
The highlight of the show was the amazing special effects (some requiring 3D glasses!); a giant that was as tall as the theatre and a beanstalk that grew before your eyes, mesmerised my children and I.
There were excellent performances from John Challis (Only Fools & Horses) and Jake Canuso (Benidorm) as well as the beautiful Lisa Riley who showed off her Strictly Come Dancing moves more than once throughout the night.
The only negative is that unfortunately you cannot pay for merchandise or refreshments with card so make sure you take cash!
In the words of Billy Pearce it was “chuffin’ awesome”
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £14.50 to £38 (booking fees may apply).
Jack and the Beanstalk is at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford until 24 January 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 01274 432000.
The Alhambra Theatre, Morley Street, Bradford, BD7 1AJ | Box Office 01274 432000
