Review: Jack and the Beanstalk, Scarborough Spa

The annual Bloomfield pre-Christmas panto pilgrimage saw myself and my two youngest girls, Ellie-Mae, 10, and Macie, six, brave the chilly weather to take our seats at the Spa Theatre for Jack and the Beanstalk.

The production was full of plenty of 'Fee, Fi, Fo, Fun' as the audience were entertained by a winning mix of comedy and musical entertainment, the slapstick was delivered in abundance by the two main comedic characters, writer-director Phil Beck as Dame Tilly Trott and her son Silly Billy, played by Mike Carnell.

The duo seemed to be having as much fun as the audience during their slapstick-packed routines, but there was still plenty of topical and risque references to keep the older members of the audience chuckling.

Beck put in another top-notch performance as the Dame, while Carnell was outstanding as the bumbling Billy, the children laughing at and with him in equal measure.

My girls loved the story of Jack's quest to save his family and friends (and his cow Daisy) from financial ruin, loosely based on the fairytale, aiming to ascent the beanstalk and abscond from the giant's kingdom with his bags of gold.

Louise Willoughby's energetic performance as Jack was spot-on, showing off some great vocal skills in one of the many well-polished musical numbers, which were all boosted by the very talented young TLC Dance dancers.

Scarborough's Lori Kellett also showed off her superb singing skills as Jill and she earned the honour of being my daughter Macie's favourite character, with Fairy Sweet Pea, played by Charlotte Buxton, acting as a great narrator as well as getting involved with song and dance routines.

The villainous Fleshcreep (Dave Kustard) sparked boos and hisses galore from the audience every time he slithered onto stage, acting as the henchman for the despicable giant.

Both my girls left the theatre full of beans and asking what next year's panto would be, we all loved every minute of the show and will certainly be back for more next December.

Tickets on: 01723 821888 or www.scarboroughspa.co.uk Times and dates: Saturday December 23 2pm and 7pm Christmas Eve at 2pm Boxing Day at 2pm and 7pm Wednesday December 27 at 2pm and 7pm Thursday December 28 at 2pm and 7pm Friday December 29 at 2pm and 7pm Saturday December 30 at 2pm and 7pm New Year’s Eve at 2pm New Year’s Day at 2pm.