The season of pantomime kicked off in style as the ‘Watfordians’ made their way to support Watford Palace Theatre with their annual pantomime. This year, they reached new heights with Jack and the Beanstalk, with a famous voice supporting them in spirit, in the form of Sir Stephen Fry voicing the giant. The theatre was full of joy and a vibrant atmosphere as we entered the auditorium and awaited the magic to begin.
At the time of review, the first half started off well, but there were a couple of stumbling lines from one or two of the characters and a very long pause as the stage action came to a standstill at one point near the beginning for what seemed like a long time. When the scene eventually started, whilst it was uncertain what had happened, everyone carried on in one of the most focused, professional manners seen in a long time on the pantomime circuit and from here on in seemed to relax into the action. It was a shame in many ways. Part of the first half seemed to take longer to warm up, as the majority of the performers overcompensated for the issues that occurred, which occasionally made some of the joke punchlines fall a little flat and the energy waver a little. They needn’t have worried, though, as everything picked up and evened out as the second half approached. My advice would be not to worry too much about what the outcome will be and to relax into the action more. Even if something goes wrong, a little banter with the tech crew will ease the audience into a better sense of security rather than being left in the dark as to what was going on. Luckily, the latter was achieved as the show progressed, but it may have helped bring this in a little earlier for the reasons aforementioned.
Having said all of this, one thing that the whole cast really brought to the table was the fact that the sense of community really is alive and kicking in Watford. Alongside the professional actors, we saw the local theatre training group take on some of the choral roles with a youthful vibrance that really brought Jack and the Beanstalk to life. The Young Company produced a collaborative performance that aided the action to move along at a pace that really complemented the professionals. It didn’t matter whether they were the citizens of the village full of joy at coming together for market days, or whether they took on the children kidnapped by the giant to create weather in the sky, they gave a heartwarming performance that had clear, creative choices for each scene in acting, singing and dancing respectively and created clear moods that were needed at the appropriate moments.
Alongside an extremely well-constructed and painted set, with complementary vibrant costumes and lighting, we saw a cast that had heart and soul in their performances, which was made clear by their dedication to their relevant characters and love of the material presented by writer Steve Marmion and Director James Williams. Each role was different and provided a clear distinction as to its particular purpose in each scene. One of whom was Lauren Azania’s Fairy ‘Nuff, who was full of sparkle and a lot of street sense as she guided Jack to his destiny to save the town from the giant and his wife. Azania delivered a performance that was not only a strong, comic delivery of a very honest fairy but also a sassy vibrance that set the tone of the whole show.
Jessica Dennis’ Judi Henchman was another highlight that provided a smooth delivery of a villain who, despite having all the power in the world by being married to Giant Trumpet, may as well have lived up to her surname – being a henchman! This was a strong choice on Dennis’ part, as one thing about villains is that they do not always show a lot of depth for their path in pantomime, but here she delivered a bitter, twisted woman who wanted more of a connection to her husband and showed little to no remorse as she oozed evil from every pore and was a delight to watch. In complete contrast, Terrence Frisch’s Dame Trott provided the light-hearted comic turns and kept us on our toes with his witty retorts and cheeky innuendos as he gave us a woman who was living on the edge of her wits, trying to survive in a world of rising inflation and less cow milk to make ends meet. This balanced out the darkness of Henchman really well and provided some much-needed relief in the line delivery and extravagant costume changes.
I cannot finish this review without mentioning someone in spirit. Sir Stephen Fry voicing Giant Trumpet! He was the vocal star turn in this show and showcased an emotional depth to the beautifully constructed puppet we saw on stage. Fry may be currently playing the formidable Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest in the West End, but his presence was felt as he not only delivered the fearsome ‘FEE FI FO FUM’ line with evil relish, but was not afraid to show a more sensitive side as he developed a connection to his beloved Goosey (played by the comically brilliant Tom Giles). It was also clear from some of the quips recorded that he supported the Watford Palace Theatre and all they do to give young people a chance to train and perform on stage and from all the strong stage performances, it is clear to see why Fry would choose to support them.
Funny, heart-warming and sassy is how Jack and the Beanstalk is described. One that, once they relax into the material, will become a Yuletide delight.
Review by Sascha Cooper
Ready the bean poles and brace for magic, Jack and the Beanstalk is climbing back onto Watford Palace Theatre’s stage! Bursting with songs you know and love, a growbag packed with plant-based humour, and the best cow this side of the gap, this year’s Palace panto promises a Gardener’s World of wonder, amazement, and full-blown festive mischief.
Cast:
Dame Trott – Terrence Frisch
Jack Trott – Imad Eldeen
Judi Henchman – Jessica Dennis
Smart Simone Trott – Phillippa Carson
Fairy ‘Nuff – Lauren Azania
Jill – Tia Antoine-Charles
Goosey/Understudy Dame Trott – Tom Giles
Ensemble/Understudy Jack, Simon, Goosey – Ben Anderson
Ensemble/Understudy Judi Henchman, Fairy ‘Nuff, Jill – Hannah Lancaster
Giant Trumpet’s Voice – Sir Stephen Fry
Young Ensemble:
Team Cloud
Anjali Kumar, Charlotte Goodhew, Cleo Tyack, Emma Pirjoleanu, Hannah Gascoigne, Maria Dimitrova, Selena Smyth, Zak A-M-B
Team Rain
Aimee Rogers, Brooke Simmonds, Daisy Jobanputra, Eloise Brand, Kishori Tripathi, Lucas Mannion, Ma’kayjah Bazile, Summer Canning
Band:
Keys – Dominic Bull
Drums – Andy Campbell Smith
Guitar – Sophie Lagan
Creative and Production Team
Writer – Steve Marmion
Director – James Williams
Musical Director – Bobby Goulder
Associate Musical Director – Dominic Bull
Choreographer – Sundeep Saini
Lighting Designer – Richard G Jones
Sound Designer – Kate Harvey
Costume Designer and Wardrobe Supervisor – Laura Hack
Wardrobe Manager – Kate Turner
Production Manager – Jack Opie
Company Stage Manager – Becky Brown
Deputy Stage Manager – Millie Swinchin Rew
Assistant Stage Manager – Rosie Bowers
Stage Crew – Charlie Bailey, Isabella Sinclair, Marc McDonald
Lighting Programmers – Jacob Shooter, John Lawrence
Costume Makers – Penny Frazer, Asher Thomas, Jen Clarke
Makaton Consultant – Sharon Calcutt Cheadle
Chaperones – Ahmed Khan, Rob Meyer, Miranda Glasser, Melanie Ward, Rosella Ferrentino, Catherine Owusu
Panto Sound No 3 – Nathan Haughton
Panto Flys – Rex Moule
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
Watford Palace Theatre
29 November 2025 to 4 January 2026
