Everyman's outstanding Jack and the Beanstalk ticks all panto boxes

[rating]4[/rating]

As we wait, eager and giddy, a collective shudder of agitated ardor ripples through the theatre, like a Late, Late Toyshow audience when they KNOW Ryan’s going to give them another €150 voucher. Suddenly, a voice booms from the stage. Everyone erupts, whooping and cheering. And that was just for the safety announcement.

We’re in for a good night.

The curtain opens on the baddie Prof Saxofen, with the dancers channelling a Celtic vibe with hurleys and Riverdance-esque routines that continue throughout the show. We’re introduced to all the quare, quirky characters, simple Jack Dawe, his mam Marjorie, who’s an old hippy and greets us all with Peace, Love and Chakras! and the grand dame herself, Charlotte Cowlee, a bewigged loudmouth who undergoes a dramatic transformation during a bungled experiment. The steaks are high, but I won’t say an udder word about it, only that she is really amoosing. Have I milked it too much?

Our heroine Jill, in keeping with most modern pantos, is witty and clever and doesn’t need anyone mansplaining anything to her when it comes to figuring out the science that transports the gang to another dimension.

There’s a rollicking girl power routine when the Spice Girls come out (Charlotte is Spiced Beef) that gets all the kids in our row on their feet, singing and dancing along - and nearly taking eyes out with those light up weapons we buy them on the way in. We only have ourselves to blame.

The panto ticks all the boxes, fabulous costumes, clever topical jokes, Cork slang, high-energy singing and dancing, slapstick comedy, a proper baddie we can boo with abandon and instantly lovable characters that connect with every single person there.

The set design, orchestra and lighting are exceptional, and when the giant thunders onto the stage, it is truely spectacular. CADA, the Everyman and director Catherine Mahon Buckley, take a bow. Outstanding.