Jack and the Beanstalk

Few pantomimes command as much loyalty – from actors and from audiences – as the York Theatre Royal’s festive offering. 2017 marks writer, director and dame Berwick Kaler’s 39th year at the helm, surrounded by a cast who have been playing variations on the same roles for decades.

That shared experience shows. Many of the gags are riffs on how they’re all getting on a bit, including nods to Kaler’s heart surgery and sidekick Martin Barrass’ motorbike crash (which saw him missing last year’s show). For regulars, there are plenty of call-backs to previous years, pleasing the crowd of loyal panto-goers without forgetting or alienating newcomers.

The story feels almost irrelevant, with Jack and Beanstalk merely an excuse for the cast to step knowingly back into well-worn archetypes. As the wonderfully dastardly villain, David Leonard insists that this year – for once – he won’t be thwarted, while Suzy Cooper gamely returns to the role of 18-year-old principal girl amid repeated cracks about her age. You’ll find few more self-aware shows on the panto circuit.

You’ll also find few more whacky. As Kaler himself jokes, plot is thin on the ground. Instead, the action whisks us from set piece to zany set piece, with little logic but lots of laughs. Suddenly the stage is full of sparkly, dancing stormtroopers (yes, really) or child-sized jigging vegetables.

It’s all gloriously shambolic and miles from the cynicism of minor celebs and tired routines that characterises so much pantomime today. A unique – and uniquely local – take on this much-loved form.