Jack and the Beanstalk at Bournemouth Pavilion Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Lisa
‘He’s behind you! Oh no he isn’t! Oh yes he is!’ I love a good panto, and this year I took my 8 and 9 year old children to see it, plus my 14 year old nephew. It was my 8 year old’s first time at a panto, and he loved it too! We watched the 6pm showing of Jack and the Beanstalk at the Pavilion in Bournemouth, sitting centrally in the stalls so we had a good view.
The show started by introducing the main characters before all the dancers came on, and to be honest the first half felt a bit slow and didn’t seem to have a lot of energy. There was lots of singing and dancing throughout though, using well known songs just with the lyrics changed. The panto contained everything you expect to see – the Dame Trot in hideous dresses and wigs, lots of audience participation, being taught a song, and lots of booing and ‘it’s behind you’ moments. There were many jokes –lots of funny ones but also some that I felt were far too sexual to be in a family panto. I’m used to some inuendo in a panto but this felt too much and it was hard when my children asked questions about it. The 2nd half of the show was brilliant, with more excitement, being drawn in to the show, and 3D effects which we were given glasses for. My children were laughing hysterically at some points – and screaming at others, for example when the giant spiders came towards us in 3D! We saw more energy and flow during this half, and the story moved along more quickly keeping us engaged.
My favourite person in the show was Silly Simon, played by Noel Brodie. He was very silly indeed, kept getting distracted, and did a great job interacting with the audience and making us laugh. Callum Lill (from programs such as Coronation Street) stared as Fleshcreep, and David Ribi (from Milkshake!) as Jack, and he had a lovely voice. The whole cast did well, and a special mention needs to be given to the children who danced and sang throughout the show as they were excellent. The staging was also very effective with the different backdrops, and the costumes were brightly coloured and fun!
The Pavilion in Bournemouth is easy to get to by bus or car, and there are plenty of car parks. However, with other Christmas events happening at the same time parking was tricky so leave plenty of time! The Pavilion theatre has tiered seating inside with around 550 seats, so there is a good view from everywhere. They have a variety of times and performance to choose between until the 5th January including a relaxed and captioned performance, and there are discounts for group bookings. I think the tickets are reasonably priced, coming in at between £18 and £37.50. We had such a good evening and made great memories together. It was also great being a 6pm showing so they weren’t too late to bed on a school night! The show lasted for 2 hours and 40 minutes, including a 20 minutes interval, and there was the option to buy snacks and drinks, plus a merchandise stand selling things like lights on sticks.
Overall I would recommend this pantomime. It is a little pricey when you have a large family, but the kids can be as loud as they want, it’s fun for all ages, and it leaves you feeling Christmassy! We will definitely be going back next year!
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £18 – £37.50
Jack and the Beanstalk is on at Bournemouth Pavilion until the 5th January.
For more information or to book tickets please visit www.bournemouthpavilion.co.uk.
Theatre address – Bournemouth Pavilion, Westover Road, Bournemouth. BH1 2BU.