Jack and the Beanstalk, Studley Village Hall
THE curtain has just come down on another extraordinary panto run by Studley’s Aunty Jen Productions.
Their hilarious performance of the well-loved panto favourite Jack and the Beanstalk has won plaudits across the region, culminating in a final sell out show at Willoughy Village Hall near Rugby.
In all, the festive season saw them perform 33 shows in 23 different venues, including a run back at their home base.
We saw them in a packed out Studley village hall in a show full of song, dance and jokes and featuring of course, a brilliant panto cow designed by behind-the-scenes maestro Craig Stone.
There were star turns aplenty to enjoy too: Mike Baughan shone as the hilarious Dame Trot while Neville Cann was a suitably evil yet secretly kind-at-heart Fleshcreep.
Alex Bloore as Jack and Nicolette Morgan as Gil made the perfect panto couple while Jen Rigby as Silly Sarah played for laughs throughout.
However Lauren Ross stole the show as the truly Scottish Fairy Beansprout ensuring that in a world of make believe, everything would come out fine in the end.
This reviewer last saw the company in their brilliant performance of Oh What a Lovely War at Feckenham village hall.
To turn their hand from that seminal 60s work to the joys of panto truly showcases the breadth of talent at work within the team – and their small army of costume designers and supporters.
Long may it continue.
Ross Crawford.
