All that glitters.... is gold!

Our regular contributor Val Ruloff attended the opening night of Jack and the Beanstalk. Here's what she had to say...

Croc-k of Gold, Giant- sized treasure ... a fitting description for this glorious, uproarious pantomime production of Jack and the Beanstalk, written and directed by Chelsey Gillard.

Even more full of beans than glimpsed at first peek, here we have it in all its glory. Chilli beans, jumping beans, kidney beans, coffee beans... and Voice of the Magic Beans. 

Golden boy, Jack, is our hero of the hour. Played by Gareth Elis, Jack intrepidly climbs the gigantic beanstalk to save the day... and to rescue Pat the Cow, played by Carri Munn. Pat the Cow moooo-ves towards her fateful destiny ... and has to hoof her way out to field an escape from a giant cheese grater. Meanwhile, the Giant Blunders- but never Bores- as he continues to loom and hover threateningly, belching, blowing hot air and huffing and puffing the puffins right off Skomer Island. Dame Titania Trott, played by Lloyd Grayshon, is nothing short of alluring, glamorous and also hilarious... all wrapped up and be-ribboned like a life-sized Christmas present. Shimmering in fabulous costumes,(Images by) Vanessa's own fashions would be hard-pressed to compete. Mrs Trott is well qualified to both set her sights and successfully capture the gaze of any hapless suitor who happens into her orbit. The two scoundrels, brother and sister Terrence and Agatha (a.k.a. Taz and Agz) Fleshcreep, are a bundle of fun! Slapstick antics of best tradition abound... and their attempted disguises are zany and funny. Samuel Freeman and Freya Dare, respectively, make a great double-act in their roles! They manage to endear themselves so much that at times a prompt might be needed to remind that they are the "baddies"! Fairy Gabby Greenfingers, played by Elena Carys-Thomas, steps up to sparkle and glisten as she enlists all the help she can get from the audience, to redress all the bad deeds and wicked plots and schemes in order to restore a healthy, organic balance (and diet) once more! All creatures great and small feature... Goose , caterpillar and butterfly make a debut. The Giant's Golden Croc treasure is revealed to great acclaim and coveted by any keen shoe fans... because of extra special, mysterious properties and magical powers. The script is full of fun and very cheeky... a' la saucy seaside postcards combined with flourish of Carry-On!

The set design and costumes are eye-catching, glowing and bright with vibrant colour, props and accessories selected and designed to stunning effect. The music score and the songs are superbly done and hugely enjoyable, too.

So careful not to dawdle or (flesh)creep along too slowly and.....  watch out, he's behind you! Trott off at a smart pace and enjoy the show.... because festive joy and laughter, lessons learned and a feel-good ending are all worth their weight in gold! Proof pudding that...

All that glitters.... is gold!

For tickets phone the Box Office on 01646 695267 or click here.