A magical fantasy world for kids springs to life with added Christmas sparkle in JACK AND THE BEANSTALK at the Millfield Arts Centre

PANTO season is upon us again and everyone’s favourite beanstalk hunter is back to enthral kids and adults at the Millfield.

This show is suitable for panto fans of all ages and I saw it with my three-year-old son and five-year-old niece, who were both mesmerised.

The storyline was easy to follow and included a nice little twist that saw Jack fall in love with Jill (Jack and Jill went up the hill). Both sang live and had fairytale voices.

A brilliant cast really engaged with the audience, especially Jack’s mother who was hilarious. Like every good panto there is a menacing bad guy who made my flesh crawl and I sometimes found myself shouting louder than anyone else. He got a lot of encouraging boos! My little boy hid his face every time the baddy appeared – still peaking out with a slightly cheeky grin. Very amusing.

I really loved all the costume changes made by Jack’s mother, which made the fairytale seem more real, and my young niece believed the fairy in the performance really was real - as every time she appeared on stage with her wand there was a loud bang and sparkle.

During the interval she was asked to come on stage for a sing-song at the end of the performance, which she refused a little shy, and later regretted as all the kids that took part got a lovely goody bag. Refreshments and snacks were also served and there was a bar for the adults.

The theatre was packed and had a lovely warm atmosphere and everyone seemed to enjoy this classic panto just as much as we did.

* Showing at the Millfield Arts Centre in Silver Street, Edmonton, until Sunday, January 2