Settling into my seat at Portobello Town Hall for Stage Door’s sophomore Panto outing is an exhilarating feeling after the success of last year’s Cinderella. With a returning cast and Production team, I was very excited to see what was in store from the Porty Panto this year. Jack McTrott works on a farm with his Mother, Dame Maggie, and their best pal Muddles. His feelings for his best pal Jill must be suppressed while the ever-present threat of Grottie the Giant and his debt-collector servant Fleshcreep constantly steal the townspeople’s pennies. Jack must take drastic action when a magic beanstalk sprouts in the middle of town, opening up a way out of the predicament the people of Porty find themselves in.
Ollie Hiemann does brilliantly as Jack. He is immediately loveable and the audience root for him from the first instance. Hiemann is great at playing the slower, slightly dumber character that is just two steps behind everyone else, making him even more loveable, while always just wanting the best for his family and friends. Amy Campbell is great as Jill. She is very welcome on stage as she represents the sane and stable presence in amongst all the farce. Campbell’s singing voice is lovely and her strong yet caring portrayal of Jill is not forgotten amid many larger-than-life characters accompanying her on stage.
Leo MacNeil is really fun as Daisy the Cow. He has an excellent presence and his line delivery is on point. MacNeill glides through audience interaction with an enviable comfort and feels as if he’s been doing this for years. Along with his brother Harrison MacNeil as Madame Tattie, they are such a great duo. There’s a clear relationship and comfort on stage together and the audience feels like they could watch them all day. Harrison also plays the Giant, Grotty. Harrison does very well to portray two such contrasting characters, with excellent accent work and an admirable energy for both characters, Harrison embodies the giant without much-costumed help, yet makes the figure feel imposing and sympathetic at times too.
Andrew Gardiner is majestic as the Dame. With a great voice and fantastic humour to boot, Gardiner plays the Dame with ease and commands the stage nicely. Gardiner also gives lots of nice joke deliveries that land well, displaying a strong understanding of comedy and timing that only adds to the brilliance of this panto’s Dame.
Nicola Alexander is a stand out as the evil, slimy Fleshcreep. Her presence on stage is great and her voice is fantastic. With songs that help show off her powerful range and an amazing costume to boot, Alexander’s baddie is one the audience can’t wait to boo from moment she enters to the second she leaves.
Laurie Scott is amazing as Muddles. He possesses such fantastic stage presence and audience interaction ability – as if he’s been doing it his whole life. His accent work is brilliant (especially since he’s from Yorkshire) whilst being completely loveable and always getting a big “Hiya Muddles!” from kids and adults alike.
Aidan O’Brien’s choreography is big and fun. The cast deliver it well and it makes for some impressive ensemble moments of movement. The young dancers involved are utterly brilliant and they deliver each stop with verve and vigour, and few of them really steal the limelight in the best way possible. Undoubtedly inspired into them by O’Brien himself. He also makes a cameo role as Priscilla the Goose. With some excellent squawking and physical comedy, as well as smashing the choreography himself on stage, O’Brien makes a big impact with a small amount of stage time.
Lewis Baird’s direction is solid. The tone is raunchy and fun, with lots of room for joy and improv from the cast. Baird trusts his cast and lets them loose after establishing a solid base character for each. The song choices in collaboration with Tommie Travers are great. They really fit the story and each performer, are real crowd pleasers. The overall script, with lots of devising from the cast themselves, is strong and side-achingly hilarious at times, often causing the performers to have to stop to allow a laugh break.
The Musical Direction and Original Underscoring from Tommie Travers is remarkable. Live musicians on the backing tracks help give the show a more immersive, live feel and mean the music overall sounds great.
Utopia Costumes & Lesley O’Brien’s costume design is exceptional, every piece of clothing is epic and beautiful. The Dame even has multiple outfits and each is as extravagant as the next. Lesley does brilliantly here and also with the design of the Beanstalk itself, being a lovely centre-piece to the whole show, especially in Act Two.
Overall stage design was good but lacks in certain areas, but does more than enough for a Panto, especially as the Beanstalk is such a grand addition. Laura Hawkins on lighting does brilliantly, helping to light not just on stage, but throughout the auditorium too, and gives some incredible lighting designs that elevate special moments, all of this thought out excellently by Hawkins.
The sound mixing from Ian Cunningham could have been stronger. The overall design itself was strong but the volume levels need a steadier hand. The sound in the balcony should be just as clear and prominent as it is in the front row, and this was not the case unfortunately.
Overall, Jack and the Beanstalk is a fantastic story of perseverance and looking out for your loved ones that has a fantastic cast and technical team behind it, making it a must visit for all the family this Christmas in Porty.
Get your tickets here – https://portypanto.com/
Theatre Scotland 
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