Review: Jack and the Beanstalk (Bristol Hippodrome)

Review by Seth Wilby

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Christmas has well and truly arrived in Bristol with the opening of the Hippodrome’s pantomime, known for its high-budget spectacle and classic Bristolian humour that keeps generations of locals coming back for more year after year. For 2025, Will Young, Charlie Brooks and Sooty star in Jack and the Beanstalk, but would this giant of a pantomime achieve crackerjack success? It’s time to spill the beans.

Written by Alan McHugh and directed by Richard Cadell, it is clear that this is the work of veterans of the genre. Taking a form comparable to a variety show (because who goes to a pantomime for a comprehensive story anyway), it ticks off all the pantomime staples, filled to the brim with glitziness, chaos, and fun. The first act’s finale is one of pure spectacle, and one of the final scenes in act two (“If I were not in panto, something else that I would be”) could be used to define how panto should be- madcap pandemonium that sees everyone in the building have a whale of a time. 

Taking pride of place on the poster that has bedazzled every Bristol bus for months is Will Young, making his pantomime debut as the Spirit of the Beans. Young’s very first appearance elicits wild cheers, not just from some wild fans in the audience but for the incredible costumes designed by Teresa Nalton, bringing sequins and sparkle to the stage through outfits that border on full set pieces themselves. Young makes a confident panto debut, willing to have fun with it, which, to be honest, is all you need. As expected, Young also delivers on all his hit songs, which, although feel out of place in the context, seem clear crowd pleasers. The panto lets Will Young do Will Young things, and for that, no audience member will leave disappointed.

The clear standout of the show is Richard Cadell, who, having starred in over 30 pantomimes, is masterful, boasting perfect crowd work and an unrivalled ability to make sure every joke lands (his magic, however, brings nothing gasp-inducing, instead rehashing a similar trick thrice). His performance is dynamic and fluid, bursting with energy and bringing a breadth of material that can appeal to audience members of all generations.  Accompanied by Sooty and Sweep, he lets adults across the theatre feel like kids again, and is an audience favourite at every appearance. Cadell still feels fresh despite his expertise, and it's no surprise that he’s become a legend of the pantomime world.

Returning for his twelfth panto at the Hippodrome, Andy Ford (as Farmer Andy) is clearly beloved by the locals in the audience, with his uniquely Bristolian charm offering the necessary nostalgia for audience members who return year after year. At first, it does admittedly feel like he might have become complacent with his legacy, accepting the positive audience response without necessarily earning it (many of his early jokes fall flat), but, by the second act, he has settled into his role much more, with his hilarious attempt at a duet with Young being the closest the night got to hysterics. Proficiently ad libbing with his castmates and offering suitably cringeworthy jokes (“Where are the Andes? End of my wristies”), I can foresee Ford continuing to please Bristol audiences in many more pantos to come.

Charlie Brooks takes on the iconic role of the pantomime villain, Mrs Blunderbore, yet her performance never reaches the cartoonish levels of evil you want from a pantomime. Brooks borders on playing it too evil to please the kids, and too monotonous to be truly boo-inducing. By the end of the show, Blunderbore has been made ‘good’, and the small glimpses of Brooks’ performance here make me wish we could’ve seen her lean more into the fun of it all throughout. 

Completing the cast are Benjamin Yates and Ashlyn Weekes as Jack and Jill, who, although criminally underutilised, know their place in the panto pecking order, falling into the background until the story needs progressing, and, when necessary, bringing some great moments (Yates, for example, dispenses a wonderful vocal performance in a jazzed-up version of Sondheim’s ‘Giants in the Sky’). They form the cornerstones of a competent cast that fill this panto with energy and fun.

My main problem with this panto, however, was that it was a variety show that didn’t offer much variety. The format (Andy Ford says some jokes, Will Young sings a song, Richard Cadell does a sketch, and repeat) was so formulaic it ended up growing old by the second act. I’d argue that the production was missing that final puzzle piece to keep it feeling fresh- Ford and Cadell bought an unnecessarily similar skillset, and the absence of a panto dame left a clear ceiling to what could be achieved. More big, energetic ensemble numbers would have done wonders, if only they were willing to look beyond an over-reliance on near-identical comedy. It was a crowd pleaser, but not consistently, and the fun had to stop regularly to allow for storytelling, which should've been integrated throughout as opposed to an ‘either-or’ situation. 

Is Jack and the Beanstalk the greatest pantomime I’ve ever ‘bean’ to? Oh no it isn’t. But is it a lot of fun? Oh yes it is. The Bristol Hippodrome knows what their audiences love, and have assembled a cast that accomplish this almost flawlessly. It’s footsteps away from greatness, if only there was some more variety, yet, ultimately, this is a night full of laughter, spectacle and fun that’s sure to please all the family this festive season.

Jack and the Beanstalk plays at Bristol Hippodrome until 4th January 2026.

Tickets available here

Photos by Steve Tanner