EntertainmentTheatre

Jack and the Beanstalk at the Buxton Opera House Review

JackBeanstalkBuxtonJack and the Beanstalk
Buxton Opera House

11 December 2014 to 3 January 2015

www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk

Reviewed by Lucy Lowndes

We went to see the Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime as a family, consisting of myself, my husband our 9 year old daughter and her 9 year old friend.

We arrived in Buxton at around 6.30pm giving us plenty of time to park up and collect our tickets before the production started at 7pm.

The opera house is very easy to find from the main road and well sign posted. We managed to park outside the park which is only a minutes walk to the opera house doors. Parking was also free as we had arrived after 6pm. If you arrive before then you will have to buy a pay and display ticket.

As we entered the theatre there was a stall selling light up and flashing toys for the children (or adults) to use during the production. These were all priced between £2 and £6.

After collecting our tickets from the ticket office we went to purchase some snacks. These were purchased from another ‘pop up’ stall at the top of the first flight of stairs. They had crisps, sweets, chocolate and drinks and all on a special offer of 3 items for £2.

We then headed back down to the stairs to locate our seats as we were sitting in the dress circles. As we entered the dress circle there was a lady with a notepad and pen asking if there were any children who would like to go on the stage towards the end of the show. My daughter who is a bit shy wasn’t too keen on this idea, but her friend jumped at the chance. They told her to meet at the side of the stage after the beanstalk had been chopped down!

Once we had located our seats, we had plenty of time to take in our surroundings. The opera house is a wonderful building with amazing decor. We were seated in row G and our seats were 9-12. We had an excellent view of the stage and felt really close. The girls, who are not very tall were able to see perfectly (although if they did find it difficult to see, they did have some booster seats available to borrow).

It wasn’t too long before the pantomime began and from the very beginning they had the audience participating. The whole production was fantastic. Heading the cast was comedian and actor Steve Nallon (Dame Trot) who is best known for his impersonation of Margaret Thatcher in Spitting Image and Joseph Elliott (Silly Simon, Jacks brother) who plays Cook in the Cbeebies show Swashbuckle. The comedy sketches, dance routines, singing and special effects (including the enormous inflatable beanstalk and giant!!) made the whole show an unforgettable experience. They sang lots of well-known songs including ones from the recent hit Disney film Frozen!

During the interval we made our way down to the stage where there were ice creams available to purchase. We brought 2 tubs and 2 cornettos and it came to just under £10.

The interval lasted about 15 minutes. Once the 2nd half started we were waiting for our cue (after the beanstalk was chopped down) to send my daughters friend to the front so she could go onto the stage. She Joined silly Simon and 2 other children to help sing Old McDonald Had a Farm. It was all very funny and my daughter thought it was brilliant that her friend was up on the stage!

The pantomime came to an end at about 9.30pm and I can honestly say that we all had a fantastic evening and enjoyed every minute. I would highly recommend everyone to go and watch this production of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Rating: 5/5 thumbs_up

Tickets cost from £16 to £21

Jack and the Beanstalk is at the Buxton Opera House until 3 January 2015. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0845 127 2190.

Buxton Opera House, Water Street, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6XN | 0845 127 2190

5Star

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