Jack and the Beanstalk

If Kafka and Brecht wrote a panto it would look like this.

It is refreshing to see a child’s tale being told in a way that avoids the formula of a jolly British pantomime or a sugared-up Disney fest. There is often much darkness in children’s stories and this Jack and the Beanstalk is not afraid to go there.

Jack may be a dreamer but is without malice. All the other characters have an agenda and aren’t nice – I thought Jack’s mother was a bigger monster than the ogre. The mysterious stranger who trades the magic beans comes across as that stranger you warn your kids about.

This production is set in a bleak world of shadow and washed-out colour, where every gesture and syllable is made in seriousness and with subtext. All is intense, the grim put firmly into Grimm. Adding to the unsettling mood is the clever musical accompaniment by Trevor Brown and Veren Grigorov (reeds and violin), which was largely atonal and aleatory. Everyone in this show has a moral or philosophical point to make. Even the cow has existential angst, and after her monologue yields only powdered milk.

At times I felt I was watching one of those serious arty films on SBS, and forgot to bring my Fine Arts degree along with my turtleneck skivvy and soy decaf. The whispered echoing of some of the dialogue didn’t work for me, although it was effective in some parts. And fate is always tempted when one of the characters loudly proclaims, “This is rubbish. Nothing is happening!”, and, “Enough. I’m not enjoying this!”.

However, there was sly humour at work here, with some laugh-out-loud moments, joined with impressive story-telling and stagecraft. The ogre’s castle was a wondrous creation of cardboard boxes and packing tape, with traps and surprises galore. And despite the mature and serious tone, there was still room for audience participation (just don’t expect Widow Twankie to pop up yelling “Behind you!”). The golden goose, guard dog, and ogre are marvels to behold, all the more so because they were created with simple materials. Jack’s mastery at climbing the beanstalk, represented by a large pole, was worth the price of admission, especially the mid-air twist.

Perhaps the best gauge of quality for this type of show is the reaction of the children in the audience. The children sat through the show (about 90 minutes no interval) enchanted and engrossed. Not a fidget to be felt. This show proves that even in a dark and complex world there can still be found humour and magic.

Peter Novakovich

Photographer: Heidrun Lohr