Growing Growing ... Gone! The Story of Jack and the Beanstalk

Panto usually involves a cast of thousands, huge sets and the theatrical magic supplied by trap doors, smoke machines and flying apparatus. Darren Cheek and Kinny Gardner somehow manage to tell the story of Jack and The Beanstalk without any of that and the young audience I sat with were entranced.

The show is actually a lot more than a panto. Our likable pair start by introducing us to some sign language, and continue to sign throughout the show so that, as they put it, “everyone can understand it”. There’s audience involvement too (relax, adults, it’s two kids they get up on stage) and this being a children’s show the spontaneous interjections from some of the young audience manage to land with hilarious and miraculous timing. They’re well fielded by the actors, too.

Krazy Kat have a long and successful pedigree of doing this kind of show. When you walk in and see the simple but colourful set and costumes you might wonder how they’re going to create all the characters and locations, but in this whistle-stop version of the tale they manage to conjure, amongst other things, hats, costumes, the beanstalk, the giant, a hen, comedy caterpillars and perhaps most ingeniously, a very convincing cow – all whilst continuing to sign.

I’ve never reviewed a children’s show before, and felt vaguely ridiculous sitting there with a note book so I put it away pretty quickly and just sat back and enjoyed. For this cynical old hack, the main surprise was that kids still know this story (one could sense a certain amount of impatience in the opening preamble as the kids wanted to get to the story). In an age of ipods and computer games and CGI it is heart-warming to realise that these classic tales are still being passed down the generations, and it’s also wonderful that companies like this are continuing to introduce new audiences to theatre.

If your children like this story, take them, or if you haven’t ever told them it, not only is this is an excellent introduction to it, but more importantly to the rough magic that only intimate live theatre will ever be able to create.

Lord Of The Rings, The Musical it isn’t. And long may that continue.