They gave themselves an incredibly tough act to follow, after last year’s pantomime Beauty and the Beast was branded ‘the best in years’ but Sunderland Empire have ensured that their own high standard shows no signs of slipping, thanks to Jack and the Beanstalk being a big budget bonanza and a show that would certainly not be out of place on the West End stage.
Certainly when I was a bairn, the Empire pantos were held up as the gold standard when it came to which one to go to year after years, with me sat there wild-eyed and most likely with a bag of sweets in hand, to see stars from Gladiators, Neighbours and Home & Away do their thing.
And with a terrific two in a row of Beauty and the Beast and Jack and the Beanstalk, Sunderland has put itself right back on the map as a panto that means business, with high production values, a pacey and hugely entertaining script and a fabulous cast;’ not forgetting the added bonus of some 3D magic this year.
The double act of North East stars Miss Rory and Tom Whalley is a pairing that just continues to get stronger and stronger with each pantomime they’re in, with the pair of them both superb in their own right and a total joy to watch whenever their share a scene.
Upping the glamour ante for 2024, Miss Rory is quite possibly the very antithesis of demure and mindful as Dame Rorina Trott, with some outfits that are the perfect blend of the catwalks of Paris and the streets of Pallion and gives Chapel Roan a run for her money as she leads an ear-wormingly good reimagining of viral hit H.O.T.T.O.G.O. She makes several quips about ‘stealing scenes’ and in truth, she does have that natural ability to command the audience’s attention with every line of dialogue.
Like Miss Rory, Tom is a talent that the region can be massively proud of as, as well as doing joker of the pack as well as anyone I’ve seen in panto over the last few years, he also turns his hand to the script with rip-roaring results, ensuring there are anecdotes for all ages and those local references that crowds love to hear in a panto.
They are joined in the Empire panto fold this year by Emmerdale star Matthew Wolfenden, who, rather than playing Jack as the dashing hero of the hour, really exercises his comedy chops to great aplomb throughout, making his scenes with Rory and Tom a real treat. In the past, soap stars have struggled somewhat with the switch from soap land to pantoland, but Matthew certainly doesn’t fall into that category, as he brings both professionalism and panache to the stage.
(Image: © DAVID JAMES WOOD PHOTOGRAPHER 2024)
Every panto needs a villain and Richard Meek makes Fleshcreep a baddy that you really can’t take your eyes off. Whether it’s performing a very unexpected twist on Sam Smith’s Unholy or filling the air with vitriol and insults to get as many boos as possible, Richard is an absolute star, with his physicality and characterisation top drawer.
In an ensemble brimming with fine performers, Millie Readshaw is terrific as the Vegetable Fairy, serving both dependable and dynamic throughout, as well as kicking off a fine version of Defying Gravity from movie of the moment Wicked.
Emma Crossley is also in fine voice the whole way through, particularly in solo number Journey to the Past from Anastacia and makes Jill a panto princess for the modern generation – not afraid to speak her mind or pick up a Gladiators pugil stick and go into battle.
(Image: © DAVID JAMES WOOD PHOTOGRAPHER 2024)
The cast is completed with charm and great comic timing by Gary Davis as King Cabbage of Cleadon, while the older dancers and children from the Kathleen Davis Stage School, SK Dance School of Performing Arts and The Worx Academy help to make the show the undeniable success it is.
Everything about Jack and the Beanstalk is high end, with the whole vibe of the production feeling very elevated; from the sets on stage to the vibrant lighting around it and the brilliantly executed 3D segments that raise traditional scenes to a whole new level
*Jack and the Beanstalk is on at the Sunderland Empire until Sunday, January 5.
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