'A Real Must-See': Jack and the Beanstalk at Nottingham Playhouse

Nottingham Playhouse have taken the city by storm with their latest panto offering, Jack and the Beanstalk, which runs until Saturday 18^th January 2025. Bigger and brighter than ever before, the production offers the usual cast of colourful characters you know and love, as well as new innovations including animatronics and fantastic practical effects.

You may remember a lot of the cast from previous productions, including local legend John Elkington as Dame Daisy, the hilarious Tom Hopcroft as Fleshcreep, and the exceptionally talented Jewelle Hutchinson returning as Jill. The talented comedian and actress Caroline Parker also shines in her casting as the Fairy Godmother. Her addition to the cast was a welcome one as a deaf performer using both sign language and spoken lines throughout the show.

The story, written by Adam Penford (Artistic Director at Nottingham Playhouse), is a classic that you will know and love. When Jack is misled to sell the family cow for some beans, he must undertake a journey to the giant’s castle above the clouds to get her back and improve his family’s fortunes. All the while, he is helped by a fairy godmother who is looking out for him, his brother, Silly Billy, and friend, Jill. But Pat is no ordinary cow. Played by the hilarious Alice Redmond, she gives as good as she gets with sassy one liners, brilliant choreography and moo-ving puns.

Inclusivity and accessibility is centre stage in this production. Sign language is incorporated into the choreography of the song and dance numbers, with one section being entirely led by sign language. Nottingham Playhouse also offer a British Sign Language Flyer available to watch on their website, and a wealth of access performances including British Sign Language Interpretation, captioning, audio description, dementia friendly, reduced capacity, and relaxed performances.

The costumes were bigger and better than ever before, including sensational costume changes from Dame Daisy Trott, and the return of some practical jokes including fan favourites from years gone by. The songs were simply superb, with modern additions as well as classics that parents will love.

Tickets start from £19.50, and you can even make use of their ‘Pay in 3’ scheme, which allows you to split the cost over three payments. Find out more on the Nottingham Playhouse website.

And remember - ff you’re unable to make one of their shows, then don’t fear. You’re able to rent the performance on demand from Tuesday 17^th December! They are also hosting a watch party on Monday 16^th December.

This show is a real must-see in the Nottingham calendar for 2024. You can expect a fun-filled night of raucous laughter and festive feelings which will make you leave feeling lighter. It is the perfect tonic for these cold winter days and nights!

Access Performances

Captioned Performance

• Sat 7 Dec, 2 pm
• Sat 14 Dec, 7 pm

Audio Described performance

• Wed 11 Dec, 2 pm
• Sat 14 Dec, 2 pm

BSL interpreted performance

• Thu 12 Dec, 7 pm
• Sat 14 Dec, 2 pm
• Wed 18 Dec, 2 pm

Relaxed Performance

• Tue 14 Jan, 11 am
• Wed 15 Jan, 11 am

Dementia Friendly Performance

• Thu 16 Jan, 1 pm