Jack and the Beanstalk – review

It is impossible to resist the charms of Hackney's vibrant, crayon-hued Christmas panto, a revival of writer-director Susie McKenna's 2005 production. The familiar story of a lad exchanging his family's cow for magic beans is dragged rudely into the 21st century, peppered with pop song covers (such as the East End twist on Katy Perry's "California Gurls") and wry contemporary references ("demolition government"). Family entertainment can be a minefield but Hackney pulls it off with warmth and good humour. Although the plot wears thin at times and some gags don't work, you don't dwell on it. The action is propelled forward by a charismatic pantheon of characters – Kat B's cowardly Jamaican Snowman, Tony Whittle and Jennie Dale's bad beans and Clive Rowe's spectacular, big-hearted Dame Daisy. Jack's climb up the beanstalk, surrounded by woodland spirits, is a particularly memorable scene, as is the moo-ving duet between Dame Daisy and Buttercup. A cheeky crowd-pleaser.