Jack And The Beanstalk At St Helens Theatre Royal Review

Reviewed by Kathryn Harrison

Last night my husband and I visited St Helens Theatre Royal with our two daughters, aged 4 and 9, to watch Jack and the Beanstalk. Its been such a long time since my girls went to the theatre and they were very excited! The Theatre Royal is situated in the centre of St Helens, making it easy to access via rail, bus or car. We parked at one of the local council run car parks just a 5 minute walk from the theatre.

The Panto is showing throughout half term week with performances at 12 noon and 5pm on show days. Absolutely perfect times for families looking for something fun to do during the school holidays. We went to the 5pm performance which was full of excited children and parents. You could feel the anticipation as we sat in the auditorium waiting for the show to start.

The first character we met as the show began was Fairy Mary, played by Jenna Sian O’Hara. Fairy Mary was soon joined by Mrs Fleshcreep, the giant’s henchwoman played by Catherine Cunningham. These two characters quickly made it clear who was the goody and who was the baddy as is traditional in pantomimes. It wasn’t long before we’d been introduced to the full cast of Jack, Princess Jill, Simple Simon and Dame Dolly Trott. The story was the traditional tale of Jack and the Beanstalk everyone knows but with lots of music and laughter along the way.

Timothy Lucas was perfect as a Scouse Jack whilst Olivia Sloyan played the lovely Princess Jill. These two had some fun songs together to set the scene for them meeting and falling in love. However, as is always the case, our favourite characters were Simple Simon and Dame Dolly. It’s these characters that had the whole audience laughing and interacting with them. Reece Sibald who plays Simon made my girls giggle so much every time he came on stage, they particularly liked watching him fall off a bench during the classroom scene. Of course no Panto is complete without the Panto Dame. Mark Two was perfect in this role, entertaining the adults and children in the audience equally. As a seamstress myself, it was interesting to read in the programme that all of the Dames costumes are made by Mark and his wife Dee, they were wonderfully extravagant.

During the second half of the performance there was a puppetry scene involving Dame Dolly and neon puppets, this was unexpected but very entertaining. I also feel a special shout out should go to all the dancers in the show who were brilliant, especially Ruby Grant and Grainne Jones who performed as the family’s cow.

If you’re looking for a local fun activity for the whole family, I’d definitely recommend getting yourself down to the St Helens Theatre Royal. Is it a highbrow theatre performance? No. Will it have your children laughing and dancing in their seats? Absolutely! Suitable for all ages and a school holidays activity that isn’t dependent on the weather, this is the perfect half term treat.

Rating: 5/5

Tickets cost from £14 plus 50p transaction fee.
Jack and the Beanstalk is at the Theatre Royal, St Helens from 21st Oct – 31st Oct 2021, for more information or to book tickets visit www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com or call the box office on 01744756000
St Helens Theatre Royal, Corporation Street, St Helens, WA101LQ