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Show: Jack and the Beanstalk
Society: London (professional shows)
Venue: Theatre Peckham, 221 Havil St, Camberwell, London
Credits: Written by Paul Sirett, Composed by Wayne Nunes and Perry Melius
Type: Sardines
Author: Chris Abbott
Performance Date: 05/12/2019
Jack and the Beanstalk
Chris Abbott | 06 Dec 2019 10:46am
Photos: Suzi Corker
This was my first visit to Theatre Peckham, an attractive and welcoming venue which hosts much important work with young people and the local community led by Artistic Director Suzann Mclean, also the director of this pacy and confident Jack and the Beanstalk.
The theatre offered a friendly welcome to all, not something always the case elsewhere, and most of the audience at this performance was made up of friends and family of the cast. An impressive (and impressively recycled) set from designer, Lily Faith Knight, filled the large stage and was well used with its many entrances and exits.
Not a totally traditional version of the story, this nevertheless had all the expected characters as well as a few more, Paul Sirett’s script being based on one written by him for Theatre Royal Stratford East, with composers Wayne Nunes and Perry Melius. This was no repeat of that production however, as the writers met with the young people at Theatre Peckham in order to develop and rewrite the script.
It is those young people in the cast that make this pantomime unique. Appearing in a professional production team and with six experienced actors are two teams of local young people who have attended classes at the Theatre Peckham Academy. The twelve members of Blue Team who took part in the performance I attended were totally on top of their roles and were more than up to the challenge of working alongside professionals. In itself that may not be unique, with companies like the RSC and NT now recognising the value of involving community casts where appropriate, but not, as here, giving key roles to very young cast members, most of them not yet in their teens (I’m guessing).
Of course, children appear in professional pantomimes up and down the country, but usually after rehearsing separately and then just dancing in the background or perhaps having one number with the Dame; here they appear in key roles and double as the ensemble, and do so with an infectious enjoyment that transmits itself to the audience.
The professional cast is led by experienced Dame, Michael Bertenshaw, well known to Stratford East regulars, but here managing the tricky role of leading the production without in any way diminishing the importance of the children. He also gently warms up the audience with a skill and quiet confidence which is quite different to the brash browbeating of the audience too often seen at pantomimes; and he knows how to put in laughs for the adults too. Once we reach the Ogre’s lair in act II, Tamara McKay-Patterson has fun with Henrietta the tap-dancing provider of golden eggs, alongside Kitty Hollingsworth’s beautifully sung Harpo.
The other traditional roles such as the cow (named Marilyn here, that must have been the childrens’ choice), the Ogre, Jack and Lucy are played by the young cast, and they also work with the adult actors who play the roles unique to this version. As one half of the burgling duo Biz and Boz, Michael Gonsalves finds himself working opposite an extremely confident but diminutive partner. The same is true of imaginary rabbit friend, Dizzy, where an enthusiastic performance from Luis Gustavo Silva Navarro is more than matched by a very physical and confident Jack who is no more than twelve years old. Yinka Williams completes the cast with two nicely varied parts as the stern Mayor and the Ogre’s servant Mrs Porridge. Her great character work, clear diction and strong singing voice will be a good role model for those aspiring performers around her.
All those young performers are impressive, with no weak links at all and one or two really impressive performances, but with two alternating young casts I have decided it would not be fair to mention individuals. However, I am sure that both groups are equally impressive and indeed it would be tempting to return and see the show all over again with the alternate cast – and that’s a firm recommendation to those in the area.
Theatre Peckham has a unique model which puts the local community centre stage and provides great entertainment; it deserves to be supported and I look forward to returning to see future productions.
- : admin
- : 05/12/2019