The ‘Pav Panto’ is back – and it’s better than ever!
By Tracy Mukherjee
The Pavilion Theatre panto is back with a bang as the team this year take on Jack and the Beanstock – or Jock and the Beanstock. It is Glasgow after all.
Actually it’s Cowcuddles on the Clyde, a cold wee land, eternally in shade due to a massive giant’s castle in the sky, blocking out the sun. The giant, Glaikitguts, terrorises the villagers of Cowcuddles and sends his henchman Fleshcreep to do his dirty work. The humble family Trott – Dame Tina, Jock and Jimmy – don’t have a bean, if you’ll pardon the pun, their future rests with their family cow, Buttercup. With a host of villagers including King Clanky and his side-kick Mayor Manky, the king’s beautiful daughter Jill, and the good green fairy, will the villagers defeat grissly Glaikitguts? And will Jock and Jill live happily ever after?
Get Ready, Set…Go!
So that’s the premise. But my goodness, do the Pavilion know how to put their own stamp on it.
From the opening number, the accelerator goes down, and the foot doesn’t come off the pedal till the final curtain. The songs are big tunes, the dance numbers excellent, with some really young dancers holding their own in the ensemble.
And then there’s the jokes. It doesn’t stop, it’s constant. It’s hilarious.
Liam Dolan is a master at audience participation and some of his monologues are truly jaw-dropping in terms of how he remembers his script. Craig Glover is simply one of the best pantomime dames in the business, with his costumes this year, topping previous in terms of how bonkers they are. The Pav Panto would never be the same if the duo of Grado and Stephen Purdon ever retire. They barely keep it together, especially with Liam consistently poking fun at Stephen’s somewhat minute stature. And if they’ve said the lines twice a day, and will do for the next month, you wouldn’t know it. They clearly find each other hilarious.
A Family Show
The leads of Scott Fletcher and Jennifer Neil keep the ACTUAL story on track, with some lovely vocals from both actors and our narrator Valissa Scott as the Green Fairy. And then there’s Jack Jester, the best baddie treading the boards. Susceptible to a fit of the giggles (always a good look for a bad-un with a glass eye), the kids absolutely love him. Despite many a bribe of a selection box from Liam Dolan at the end of the show, the kids up on stage pick Jack as their fave every year. Although Buttercup the pantomime cow got a few votes this year.
The production is fantastic – with great graphics, sound, costumes and a fantastic giant. The scriptwriters have excelled themselves this year too. It really is a laugh a minute – and so clever.
If you’ve never been to see a Pavilion Panto before, you might not be aware that, every Panto season, it’s the same cast playing roughly, the same parts.
And that is the beauty of this company. They clearly have an absolute ball each year and have a real affection for each other. And the audience are one of the other cast members. It’s such a warm welcome, the audience feels so entirely involved in the show. You may think isn’t that every panto though – audience participation? But that’s not what I mean. This is a fuzzy-wuzzy feeling. It’s like being part of a family, being in on the jokes, waiting for Jack Jester to break character and coarse up – and for Liam to go off script. It’s a winner every time.
My goodness don’t we need a bit of daftness, Glasgow humour and traditional Panto fun in an ever more challenging world? Well, Jock and the Beanstock is just the ticket to truly get you in the festive spirit.
And now to the verdict from two of the toughest theatre critics this side of the Kelvin – my two sons. It’s a four thumbs up from them and a ‘Please can we go next year?’ We have to. We’re part of the family.
Jock and the Beanstock
28th Nov – 11th Jan
The Pavilion Theatre
Renfield St
w:trafalgartickets.com/pavilion-theatre-glasgow/en-GB/event/pantomime/jock-and-the-beanstalk-tickets
