It’s all about the baddie, Hendrix the Horrible steals every scene in Oxford
Jack and the Beanstalk at the Oxford Playhouse
until January 7
Review by JON LEWIS and HANNAH LEWIS (aged 12)
THIS year’s Oxford Playhouse pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, is all about the baddie, Hendrix the Horrible (Robin Hemmings, returning after playing a fairy last year, and stealing every scene).
Hemmings is something of a favourite actor for director Toby Hulse and he gives a magnetic performance as a rock god trying to charm audience members into a date by showering them with corny chat-up lines. He is a solitary villain, and ultimately no match for the posse of goodies ranged against him.
Jack and the Beanstalk is set in Oxford on May Day morning, opening with the sound of madrigals sung from Magdalen College tower.
Jack (Max Guest) is a less favoured child of Mary (Alasdair Buchan, returning as a dame from last year), owner of the town’s ice cream factory.
His sister Susan (Heather Porte, one of the leads in the Playhouse’s touring Mind the Monsters reviewed earlier in the year) is combat-ready, wearing an anti-nuclear T-shirt and encouraging the audience to shout out that she’s a tough bunny.
When the factory goes bust Mary decides to sell Eileen the cow but Jack swaps her for some magic beans carried by Hendrix. Naturally, the cast bursts into a version of Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ Come on Eileen for the transaction, one of many older hits parodied in the panto.
The characterful Jill (Dumile Sibanda), a detective, and the sweet-voiced Fairy Foxglove (Madison Swan) complete a talented cast.
Hannah writes: It was very enjoyable. I liked the character representation, especially the cow, Eileen.
Susan was very realistic and just seemed to need some more hope from her mother that she was strong. The actor played her very well.
The baddie, Hendrix was kind of silly, strong-minded with a really silly cause. I liked the fact that the giant was not a baddie but a chill botanist. His hands were creepy though. He reminded me of the BFG.
The story was quite confusing but I liked it. The birthday shout outs at the end were nice. The Spice Girls’ song Wannabe got the audience excited and on their feet for the finale.
