Malvern Observer

REVIEW - 'Unmissable' Jack and the Beanstalk has 'all you want in a panto' comes to Malvern Theatres

I ALWAYS enjoy reviewing at Malvern Theatres, it has an atmosphere all its own – set as it is in beautiful grounds with the hills as a backdrop it never fails to bring a smile.

Principals in this splendid company all break through that audience fourth wall with blissful aplomb – after all everyone’s here on a mission to go home with sore throats from shouting, wet eyes from crying and aching ribs from laughing – happily Jack and Co do not disappoint. Cheeky-chappy Mark James returns to see his Malvern mates (‘Here we are’) as Silly Billy to guide us through the nonsense with his Lancashire lilt. Tom Lister is back too as the dastardly-dashing Flashcreep, a high energy villain (special shout out for his mean Freddy Mercury impression). Also returning is Nick Wilton as Dame Dot Trott making the most of her shocking frocks and irascible innuendos.

*****

Review by Euan Rose

Euan Rose Reviews

Jack & The Beanstalk, Malvern

I’m really looking forward to spending my 26th Christmas playing Dame (my 18^th with UK Productions) in Malvern; my last panto here was Aladdin in 2008. It’s going to be fun working with Mark and Tom again too;

Mark and I were in “Jack & The Beanstalk” in New Brighton in 2013,

and Tom and I were in Aladdin in Bath in 2024.

I got my first two pantomimes, playing Captain’s Mate in Dick Whittington (Theatre Royal, Plymouth) and Wishee Washee in Aladdin (Millfield Theatre, Edmonton) when I was doing Kids’ TV shows in the late 80’s, but it wasn’t until I was 40 that I decided I wanted to play pantomime Dame.

I think I must have seen a documentary on TV and realised that it encompassed everything I loved doing - acting, sketches (routines) and stand-up. It took three years to persuade someone to let me have a go, and I’m really grateful to Joanna Read (then running Salisbury Playhouse) for taking a chance with me. Then, as now, I was inspired by the wonderful Chris Harris, who I worked with in my first panto in Plymouth in 1987. Chris, sadly died in 2014 and I feel incredibly proud and privileged to have stepped into his boots at The Theatre Royal Bath and have been “resident” Dame there since 2015.

Nick won the Perrier award in Edinburgh with the Revue group “Writers Inc.” in 1982; he then spent 3 years with Jasper Carrott at the BBC; wrote sketches for T.V and radio shows; was kept busy on Kids TV, and starred in two Sony award winning radio series; he has featured in a good selection of TV Drama including 15 years popping up in Eastenders; performed in plays all around the UK, the Middle and Far East and on two P&O World Cruises; appeared naked in Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen for Specsavers; and has spent every Christmas since 2000 playing Panto Dame.

When he is not performing or writing about himself in the third person Nick scoops ice cream from a vintage trike along the prom in Whitstable, Kent.

www.nickwilton.com