Beware of Giants!
Giant bouts of laughter, with Metro Theatre’s Jack and the Beanstalk, A Traditional British Pantomime, on stage until January 4th.
Metro Theatre invites audiences to suspend belief and go on the ridiculous ride through a faerie tale, this year (loosely) based on Jack and the Beanstalk. Metro’s 40th panto brings every beloved pantomime tradition with it;
The Dame: Mother Flubber played with scenery-chewing glee by Victor Hunter
The Lead Boy: Jack played by Abigail Woodhouse
A Sidekick/Love Interest: Olivia Manojlovic as Bernie the Greatest Giant Hunter
The Good Faerie (Yay!): Chris McBeath
The Demon (Boo!): Matt Ramer
The Cow: Clara played front & back by Simon (Hang Kin) Chung & Vada Collins
The Villain: autocratic Mayor Misery P. Sonified played by Julia Wong
Raucous audience participation: “Oh, no it isn’t!”, “Look Behind You”
add in a Ghost, a Pie and of course, side-splitting slapstick comedy, cringy puns, pokes at politics and double entendre.
Put all together the ingredients make the perfect recipe for a special live theatre experience.
Written by Jo Sears and Shel Piercy, who also directs, with Musical Direction by Kate MacColl and Choreography by Shelley Steward Hunt the cast is lead by Victor Hunter’s brilliant, bawdy Mother Flubber. Costume Designers Christina and Tami Sinosich ensure all eyes are on Mother Flubber with her over-the-top colourful costumes, with the Good Faerie and Demon’s ensembles equally outstanding. Set Designer Starlynn Chen creates the quirky village of Beantown, an other-worldly magic beanstalk and a castle in the sky.
With so much happening on stage from the rapid fire dialogue and corny jokes, to the sight gags and background antics, you may want to see Jack and the Beanstalk again to ensure you catch everything. However, part of the joy of Panto is the unpredictability as players break the 4th wall, making each performance a different experience based on the audience reaction. Victor Hunter’s quick wit and adlibs keep the show moving like a Ring Leader, whipping the audience into a comedic frenzy or groaning gasps of non-stop puns.
In addition to the wonderful Hunter, Woodhouse, Manojlovic, McBeath and Ramer, the company also includes Cole Howard as Guy Goode the Mayor’s legal rep, Gillian Myers as the bored old Widow Darke, Roger Monk as Howard Oddfellow, Agnieszka M. Reyes García as Winsome Oddfellow. Rounding out the ensemble are Shriya Chamarty, James Durham Lee and Layla Verreault tackling various roles from Villagers, to Giant Hunter or Mayor’s Minion and Laundry Bubbles.
With plenty of song and dance throughout the 2 hour performance, the players and audience are supported by the live band of Kate MacColl, Andrew Janetka and Chris Ciu. In a Metro Theatre tradition, the second act opens with the whole theatre joining in on a lively rapid-fire rendition of the Twelve Days of Christmas, keeping the second act adrenaline at its peak.
While some of the gags subtly and not-so-subtly touch on the world today, Metro Theatre’s Jack and the Beanstalk is a wonderful way to escape to a world of merry mirth that will make your holiday season shine!
Jack and the Beanstalk A Traditional British Pantomime plays until January 4, 2026 at Metro Theatre, 1370 Marine Drive SW. Visit metrotheatre.com for showtimes and tickets