Red Sandcastle Theatre’s Panto Players opened their 5th annual holiday panto last week with a three-day pre-holiday run of Jacques and the Bean Stock Market, returning to the stage on Dec 26.
Written by Jane A. Shields and Rosemary Doyle, and directed by Jackie English, The Panto Players take us on a wild and wacky ride, with twists and turns, corny fun comedy bits, young audience participation, and music and dance breaks featuring re-worked pop favourites.
A retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, with a local modern-day twist, Jacques (Michael Postumus) is saddened when his mother Widow Twankey (Robert Keller) decides to sell the beloved family cow Buttons (Victor Pokinko), who’s producing some strange, undrinkable milk. Meanwhile, evil broker Ronald Bump (Taran Beaty), his business partner Harpy Golden (Matthew Donovan) and lawyer the Cheshire Cat (English) scheme to get Twankey to sell them her cottage property so they can build their next condo project. Add to that mix some Irish river dancing/Mexican jumping beans (Kristen Foote and Doyle, the two multi-tasking actors in this production) and you have hilarious good times, with a fun twist or two.
Jacques and the Bean Stock Market features a delightful, hard-working cast – with several familiar faces from pantos past. Perennial favourites Beaty and English are back, with Beaty putting the “I” in “Evil” as the notorious bad guy Ronald Bump, the consummate money-grubbing, grasping corporate bad guy; and English returning as everyone’s favourite pink cat, but the wily, cocky feline has gone over to the dark side this year as Bump’s scheming and scamming lawyer. But darn it, you still can’t help but adore that candy floss-coated Cheshire Cat. Must be that cock-eyed smirk. And there are multi-character performances from Doyle, who starts off as a winsome pony, standing outside the door of the theatre, inviting folks to see the show, and served as a marvelous last-minute back-up as a Roadie and a Bean. Pokinko and Donovan (who were part of the Sleepy Beauty cast last year) return to the Panto Players this year. Pokinko is hilariously deadpan as the wry-witted and world-weary, but inevitably lovable cow Buttons; and Donovan is adorkable as Bump’s bow tie-wearing, put-upon business partner Harpy Golden; not content as Bump’s sidekick, he dreams of forming a boy band.
Joining this year’s rowdy good times are a few new faces. Postumus does a hysterical job with Jacques, a not too bright, but big-hearted lad with boy band hair and a German accent. Keller’s Widow Twankey is a sharp-witted, cunning dame with a fierce fashion sense and some fine Joan Collins-esque moments. And Foote (multi-tasking along with Doyle) is a treat, especially as one of the multicultural beans, an airy-fairy interpretive dancer who needs no excuse – or official venue – to perform her expressive art.
Shouts to the entire cast for juggling text, improv, audience participation, songs and choreography, as well as showcasing some fine musician chops in performances by Beaty (guitar), English (drums) and Donovan (trombone). Stand-outs: the “Definition” dance break/corny joke bits and Buttons’ rap.
And big shouts to super busy Red Sandcastle A.D. Doyle for the always enjoyable and imaginative costumes and set (in addition to the million other jobs she does at the theatre), and the company’s intrepid stage manager Deborah Anne Frankel for keeping the rowdy fun all together.
It’s a fabulous time at Red Sandcastle Theatre as The Panto Players milk the big panto fun for kids of all ages in Jacques and the Bean Stock Market.
Jacques and the Bean Stock Market are on break for the holiday – and back up and running Dec 26 – Jan 2; check the show page for show times (or check out the dates/times in the poster image above). For advance tix, call: 416-845-9411 – otherwise, best get there early, as it’s an intimate space and a popular show. Cash only at the box office.
Side note for the grown-ups: (This comes from an exchange I witnessed between parents at yesterday’s matinee; I debated on mentioning it, but thought that there was something we could learn here.) Be prepared for LOLs and excited, noisy children – it’s a panto, so the audience is encouraged to cheer the hero and boo the villain. Some kids may get especially excited and boisterous – and if you feel a child is being over-exuberant in his/her participation, please try to be understanding. If you must speak to another parent about their child’s behaviour, please do so respectfully (without ganging up on them and out of earshot of the child), exercise compassion and tolerance, and try to avoid making assumptions. Everyone is there to have fun, so let’s be kind to each other.
life with more cowbell 