There is a panto battle brewing in West Sussex, and The Capitol in Horsham has set the bar very high

For the first time, as far as we know, the Capitol and the Hawth are running the same panto – Jack and the Beanstalk. We won’t know who will come out on top in the festive battle just yet, but what we do know is the Horsham production has set the bar very high.

Following the success of the Capitol’s 2023 production, the sensational John Partridge stars as Fleshcreep and also makes his debut as Director, guiding this year’s panto to new creative heights.

The former EastEnders star is well known for his dynamic stage presence, and he brings a fresh vision to this famous tale, and it is an unforgettable theatrical experience for all ages.

And don’t worry, the fact their close rivals are doing the same show is the butt of a lot of jokes (poor old Bewbush!).

From the moment you hear Fairy Fiddlehead (Emma Lindars) sing the opening lines of Once Upon a Time (from the musical Brooklyn) you know you are in for quality night of panto fun.

It has everything you want in a panto – filthy gags for adults (including a lovely Countdown one), silly jokes for the kids, great dance routines (Chrissie Cartwright joins as Choreographer/Assistant Director), great songs (Beyonce’s Texas Hold ‘Em, and For Good from Wicked were crowd pleasers), flamboyant costumes (designed by Reah Butterly) and a fun and creative set (crafted by Jack Lane). There is even a joke about Horsham politics.

There was a chance for a Gregg Wallace joke, but they expertly bypassed it, which was probably a good creative choice.

Archie Durrant as Jack Trott and Taziva-Faye Katsande as Princess Jill made a lovely central pair (their highlight being Rewrite the Stars from The Greatest Showman) with while James Camp as Simon Trott and Steven Cleverley as Dame Gloria Trott (a kind of West Country Lily Savage) showed brilliant comic timing. The most surreal part went Genevieve Nicol as Dolly the Cow – believe me when I say you have never seen a panto cow quite like this one. It was a brilliant and bizarre (in the best possible sense) performance from Nicol, which included the great Beyonce number.

As good as the rest of the cast were, it was Partridge who stole every scene. He was everything you wanted him to be - flamboyant, camp, villainous, funny and just fantastic. He sang, he danced, and was the perfect panto villain. His big moment was the opening of Act 2 when he appeared from the rafters on a swing singing Mean Green Mother From Outerspace (from Little Shop of Horrors) – it was show-stopping performance.

And one particular highlight was when Fleshcreep, Simon Trott and Dame Gloria sang a different and perfectly chaotic version of the 12 Days of Christmas – which involved some great audience participation. If you are going to see it, make sure you practice your throwing before you go.

And I haven’t even mentioned the giant or the beanstalk in this this meticulously crafted production.

Jack and the Beanstalk at the Capitol is the perfect festive romp with a standout performance from the fantastic Partridge.

As I said earlier, it’s set the bar high – The Hawth, it’s over to you!

Information

Cast

John Partridge as Fleshcreep

Archie Durrant as Jack Trott

Taziva-Faye Katsande as Princess Jill

Emma Lindars as Fairy Fiddlehead

James Camp as Simon Trott

Steven Cleverley as Dame Gloria Trott

Genevieve Nicol as Dolly the Cow

Jack and the Beanstalk at the Capitol in Horsham is on until Sunday, January 5, 2025. For more information and to book tickets, visit https://www.thecapitolhorsham.com/events/jack-the-beanstalk/.

Running time: 2hrs 15mins including interval.