Great start with the entrance of Fleshcreep (Richard Meek) magnificently attired (Elizabeth Dennis) and straight into boos and “oh no you won’t”. He is joined by Vegetable Fairy (Millie Readshaw), a Middlesbrough lass, who instantly connects with the audience, feisty and contemporary.
The drop cloth is raised to revealed a stunning, three-dimensional set (Ian Wilson, Jon Harris, Jason Bishop) with seven entrances, ensuring plenty of movement and action. Enter Jack (Matthew Wolfenden) and the first musical number with a backing group of 14 dancers. He is joined by brother Silly Simon (Tom Whalley), who, as always, engages the audience immediately.
While Wolfenden may be better known as David Metcalfe, star of Emmerdale and Elf the Musical and winner of the seventh series of Dancing on Ice, he is very much at home in pantomime. He said, “I am thrilled to be playing Jack in the iconic Jack and the Beanstalk this Christmas. Where better to spend Christmas than at the Sunderland Empire, one of the most beautiful theatres in the land.”
No Empire pantomime would be complete without Miss Rory, “a Tyneside Institution”, playing Dame Rorina Trott in this her fifth year, as for Tom Whalley. Miss Rory delivers her usual sharp-witted, saucy banter with the audience making off the cuff remarks with any of them she engages with. The King (Gary Davis) then enters in a regally resplendent costume announcing his plans to increase taxes, a familiar tale, and his friendship with Rorina begins. Lastly but not least is his daughter, Princess Jill (Emma Crossley), who proves to be more than a match for anyone.
Davis puts his classically trained voice to good use; this is Readshaw’s first professional pantomime, and as she has been coming to Sunderland Empire panto since she was a little girl, what a thrill to perform here. Special mention must be given to Whalley, apart from his acting, for his pantomime writing skills in adapting Chris Fearn’s script for Sunderland audiences, giving countless humorous local references to Mackem land that only a local could do—a delight. There are also amusing changes of words to well-known songs such as “Dancing Queen” and “I’m In The Money”.
The are all well supported by the ensemble of Samuel Ashall, Erin Corfield, Polly Dowling, Spencer Hardy, Georgia Osborn and Meghan Tool with The Kathleen Davis Stage School children SK Dance School of Performing Arts and The Worx Academy. The well-known story needs no recounting: heinous Fleshcreep tricks Tom to part with Daisy the cow, kidnaps the princess and the Trott family embark on an adventure they never dreamt of.
The director, Victoria Gimby, uses the stage well and has produced a solid show enhanced by Chris Whittaker’s choreography and Richard Baker’s musical direction with Paul Donnelly and Malcolm Dick. Sunderland Empire and Martin Dodd for UK Productions have every right to be proud of this show. Continuous, well-performed action on seamlessly changing, excellent scenes dressed with scrumptious costumes and a walk-down to die for, great pantomime ingredients.
A young audience member next to me said after the video projection (John Port for Groundhouse media) of the Giant scene, “that was so cool”, and that just about sums up the entire production. Definitely one to see.
Reviewer: Anna Ambelez