| Performance details | Venue: York Theatre Royal Dates: 7th - 25th November 2006 Tickets: £4.00 - £8.00 Box office: 01904 623568 |
My daughter Molly and I went to see Jack, at the York Theatre Royal on the 9th of November. It was a chilly afternoon, and we snuck into the Studio, where it was cosy, warm and dark. Jack is a new production of the classic fairytale, written by Mike Kenny and made in partnership with Tutti Frutti. You may think that another play about the grumpy giant with anger issues and a fondness for chowing down on children is superfluous. | "You may think that another play about the grumpy giant with anger issues and a fondness for chowing down on children is superfluous." | |
We all know the story, dim boy, cow running out of milk, cow being sold because of lack of milk, dim boy getting a right telling off from his mum for being...well, dim. We are well acquainted with the throwing away of the beans and the beanstalk that grows and grows. A word of advice about Tutti Frutti productions - they are ingenious at bringing stories to life, they bring magic and marvellous mayhem. This time they have excelled, they seem to have the Midas touch.
 | | The giant's wife. Appealing? |
When Molly and I took our seats, the giant's wife, Gertrude, was sitting peeling a potato and enthusiastically shoving her finger up her nose. Even though I knew it was make-believe, it was so realistic, especially when she ate it, that I felt a tad bilious. Garbold the giant woke up and proceeded to shove his finger up his nose and snack on the contents. Garbold also resembled a furious leprechaun, especially when he fee, fi, foed and fumed. Gertrude the giant’s wife also plays Jacks mum. As Gertrude she is amazing, she seems a bit dim too, but can dance like a demon and has a voice I would gladly kill her for. As Jack's long suffering mum she is equally awe inspiring and not so dim. How she changed from one character to the other made my mouth gape open like a mesmerised guppy.
 | | Big Jack and Little Jack |
Jack was very nearly eaten on more than one occasion, no surprises there. How they incorporated the Puppet into the story was very clever. There is a very funny scene when the puppet is running like the clappers and it is so realistic and funny I had another mesmerised guppy moment. The music is fantastic, and if you think that the rumbling you hear in the sky sometimes is thunder, well think again, I can assure you its not, especially if it’s a Wednesday. Go along and see Jack and it will all become clear. The beanstalk was not the only thing to grow and grow in this wonderful tale; Molly's smile did, and so did mine. Bet yours will too. Wendy Barton-O'Neill | 
