Why choose to perform Jack and the Beanstalk...?
- ben60467
- Mar 25
- 2 min read
Updated: 24 hours ago
Jack and the Beanstalk was the first pantomime I ever saw. Well, I saw most of it, as I spent some of the time under my seat. But I was only three.
Anyway, apart from the bits that terrified me, I loved it and have loved pantomime ever since – so Jack and the Beanstalk has always had a special place in my affections.
So – why choose it for your pantomime script? For starters, I think one of Jack and the Beanstalk’s key scenes captures the very essence of pantomime.
Two people dressed up, very unconvincingly as a cow are led off stage by a woman pretending to be a man, being waved goodbye by a man pretending to be a woman – and out of the laughter, suddenly there are genuine tears in the audience…
So, of course, Daisy the Cow is a very special part of the show – and I always like to get an unfortunate member of the audience up on stage to help with the milking routine! Although, be careful. The first time we ever did this and asked the question “Now, Malcolm, have you ever milked a cow?” The answer came back somewhat unhelpfully, “Yes.”
Jack and the Beanstalk also contains what is possibly my favourite ever comic idea. The audience always love the dancing tree in scene 2.
You can also have a lot of fun with Simple Simon’s nervousness and the audience’s shouts of encouragement, which always fill him with ludicrous courage. Courage which primes him to take on any adversary – and which inevitably runs out just as he needs it most...! So, lots of enjoyable audience participation, encouraging Simon to get himself into even worse trouble.
Choosing Jack and the Beanstalk for your panto script, you will certainly get a story with a cast iron narrative.
The idea that there is a Giant’s castle above the clouds, is one of those perfect pantomime ideas. We just accept it. It’s like hole in one and needs no further explanation, and it opens up a whole world of magical possibilities – and of course, the only way to reach it is up an enormous, enchanted beanstalk. Totally logical!
Which brings us to the other BIG thing which really adds a kick to Jack and the Beanstalk and that is the HUGE character held back till the second half. The Giant.
We only hear his voice in the first half, so we really anticipate his arrival. When we finally do get to meet him, accompanied by lots of smoke and reverberating “Fee, Fi, Fo, Fums”, Giant Blunderbore can be a little bit scary.
But he can also be very funny, and I particularly like the routine where the heroes try to sing him to sleep… The director and cast can have a lot of fun with the Giant’s big scene. Similarly, so can the costume and prop’s department, creating a fantastical Giant and assorted props.
Jack and the Beanstalk promises fun, magic and adventure and I’ve always found it to be a very strong title at the box office – which is yet another very compelling reason to choose it for your pantomime script!