Jack and the Beanstalk – New Wimbledon Theatre, London

Writer: Alan McHugh

Directors: Joe Pasquale and Stephen Mear

Take an X Factor winner, a famous comedian and an old-school drag queen and put them in a pantomime, and the result is a magical evening out at the theatre. With gags that leave the audience gasping for breath and some pretty impressive special effects, Wimbledon’s Jack and the Beanstalk is up there with the best in a vintage year for pantomimes.

Alexandra Burke is clearly having a ball as Mrs Blunderbore, the wicked wife of the giant. Enjoying every boo and hiss and thumbs-down she receives from the audience, Burke, who has recently stepped into serious drama, receiving a British Independent Film Award (BIFA) for her role in 2022’s Pretty Red Dress, shows she has comedic talents too. Of course, she sings too, and her voice is just as good as it was when she won The X Factor in 2008. She exudes star quality in her black-feathered costume.

Although Joe Pasquale is a comedian who garners Marmite reactions, he is perfect for panto, and his toilet-humour jokes have the children rolling in their seats. As Silly Simon, Jack’s stupid brother, Pasquale is bright as a button and as quick as mercury in his interactions with the unsuspecting children brought on stage at the end. A skit with a revolving stool, demonstrating Pasquale’s physical comedy skills, is one of the highlights of the night.

With 40 years in the business and still going strong, Ceri Dupree makes for a classic dame. With her hint of disdain and a touch of boredom, she brings laughs aplenty in a show that is already jam-packed with puns and put-downs. She also gets a star turn when she comes on as Cher singing The Shoop Shoop Song but dressed in the iconic bodysuit featured in the video for If I Could Turn Back Time. It’s a random scene, for sure, but fits smoothly into the rollercoaster that is Act Two.

Dupree is back again in one of the best 12 Days of Christmas routines ever to be seen on the Wimbledon stage, where she and Pasquale are joined by Jack and Jill, the heroes of the story. Oftentimes, the protagonists of pantomimes are saccharine fillers between the comedy scenes, but here, Natalie Chua as Jill and Benjamin Yates as Jack feel just as much a part of the fun as the dame and the dancing cow. In particular, Yates shines when he’s on stage, dancing and singing to brilliant effect.

Completing the main cast and also in good voice is musical theatre star Ria Jone as the Fairy of the Beans. And she delivers a mean tongue twister to boot, where she has to be very careful to keep things legal. Together, the six performers ensure that this Jack and the Beanstalk is full of surprises. With pyrotechnics galore, wonderful costumes for the charismatic ensemble and a genuinely scary Giant, this pantomime has it all. And then some.

Runs until 5 January 2025