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★★★★
Pantomime season is well and truly underway, and this weekend I headed to my third of the year: ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ at the Sinden Theatre. Also known as the Tenterden Panto, which is once again written, directed and produced by Matty Hurst, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ follows on from last year’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and even features some returning cast members. The company is led by the hilarious Campbell Glazier as the Dame, who is celebrating their 7th year at the Sinden and after really enjoying last year’s show, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to share my thoughts. It is incredibly tailored to Tenterden and West Kent audiences, encouraging them to return year after year, and the ensemble even features members of local dance school DNC Academy of Dance.
About the show
This version of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ takes place in the aptly named Tentonia, where the Davencrale family, led by matriarch Dame Dotty (Campbell Glazier) have a dairy business in town. The ruling evil giant (voiced by Alexander Armstrong) is threatening to raise taxes, with sidekick Grimgrabber (Joseph Dennington) relaying the messages, and the family are going to have to sell their cow Margaret to pay for the increase. Jack (Louis Doran) is responsible for finding a buyer and like many variations of this story, the character ends up exchanging the animal for magic beans, which results in unexpected consequences.
Initial thoughts
This panto fuses silly humour, comedy sketches, musical numbers and some musical theatre references (think Into The Woods and Wicked), taking audiences on a madcap adventure for over 2 hours. Dairy and cows are the theme throughout and it is brilliant to see such a commitment to this theme, from the costumes to the writing. This even extends to the songs, specifically a number set in Dotty’s Dairy where the character reels off various cheese products.
On the whole I found it to be a really enjoyable show, the only thing I noticed was that sometimes it was difficult to hear all of the words in the musical numbers, especially as the delivery is so fast-paced. It goes without saying that the original and adapted lyrics are really creative, but you couldn’t always make out everything the cast were saying. A little more attention to this and it’d be a 5-star hit in my eyes!
Cast performances
This might only be my second Tenterden Panto, but I have been so impressed by the cast on both occasions. This year there are only five principle cast members and between them they bring so much energy to the performance. It is not easy to engage a crowd before midday and they absolutely triumphed. A special mention has to go to Campbell Glazier, who really is an exceptional Dame. They really know how to entertain a crowd of all ages, from the children to the grandparents in the audience. Additionally, the collaborative ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ sketch with Silly Billy (Nick Beat) and Jack is comedy gold.
Fun for all the family
There is so much to enjoy within this totally “a-moo-sing” family pantomime, including dazzling costumes (D&S Costumes), colourful scenery (Ben Allen) and the brilliant Tenterden sketches that return year after year. Also, how the creative team managed to mention the sponsors (Tenterden Garden Centre) this year was absolutely genius! I really look forward to the return of this panto each year now, and that’s down to Matty Hurst’s brilliant writing and the company’s ability to bring it to life. You can catch ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ at the Sinden until Wednesday 31st December, with tickets available via the theatre’s website.
*My ticket for ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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