A production of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ put on by the Whitley Bay Pantomime Society at the People’s Theatre in Heaton, Newcastle on Tuesday 8th January 2008. The production stars Caroline Sabiston as ‘Jack’, Rob Smith as ‘Simple Simon’ and Gary Martin as ‘Cedric’. A darkened auditorium and a voice asking members of the audience to switch off their mobile phones. Music from the orchestra pit begins and a man appears in front of the stage curtains to say ‘fee-fi-fo-fum’. He leaves the stage...

A production of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ put on by the Whitley Bay Pantomime Society at the People’s Theatre in Heaton, Newcastle on Tuesday 8th January 2008. The production stars Caroline Sabiston as ‘Jack’, Rob Smith as ‘Simple Simon’ and Gary Martin as ‘Cedric’. A darkened auditorium and a voice asking members of the audience to switch off their mobile phones. Music from the orchestra pit begins and a man appears in front of the stage curtains to say ‘fee-fi-fo-fum’. He leaves the stage and the curtain opens as the performance begins with the first of several song and dance routines. A comedy sequence featuring ‘Simply Simon’ and ‘Cedric’ as well as ‘Daisy the Cow’ performed by Julie Cockburn and Valerie Hopper follows and is the first of several in the production. At the end ‘Simple Simon’ and ‘Cedric’ lead the audience in singing the nursery rhyme ‘Old McDonald’. The show features a UV scene featuring dancing skeletons and bats as well as an appearance of the ogre Shrek. The performance over Rob Smith and Gary Martin come in front of the curtains to lead the audience in another sing-along. They then invite four children from the audience onto the stage and ask them questions. They are given goodie-bags as they return to their seats. The curtain is raised once more for a final dance number after which the full cast come out to take a bow to the audience. A man in a red jumper comes forward and addresses the audience and thanks them for coming tonight. The production ends with everyone waving as the curtain closes and the audience begin to leave the auditorium.