A Bold New Twist on a Classic Tale
The Lyric Hammersmith has once again cemented its position at the pinnacle of London's pantomime scene with a wonderfully inventive production of Jack and the Beanstalk for 2025. This isn't your traditional panto; writers Sonia Jalay and director Nicolai La Barrie have confidently relocated the bean-fuelled adventure to the hyper-strict environment of a Hammersmith academy, creating a fresh and engaging spectacle.
Satire and Schooling in Fleshcreep Academy
The action unfolds at the notoriously strict Fleshcreep Academy, where siblings Jack (Joey James) and Jill (Sienna Widd) find themselves newly enrolled. While John Partridge's villainous Fleshcreep—obsessed with meat and clad in a meat-patterned suit—bears no direct resemblance to real-life figures, the entire production cleverly satirises the modern fetishisation of 'strict' schooling. The plot takes a delightful turn when Sam Harrison's Momma Trott becomes the academy's flamboyant new dinner lady, much to her children's embarrassment. Harrison proves a great fun replacement for regular dame Emmanuel Akwafo, with a standout moment involving an ad-lib about a Lily Allen album that left young audience members delightfully bemused.
Standout Performances and Inventive Gags
Joey James delivers a charming performance as the socially anxious Jack, who often communicates through a lairy sock puppet. However, the true revelation is recent graduate Sienna Widd as Jill, in her first named stage role. She steals scene after scene as a fearlessly bolshy student, a reformed mean girl now aggressively protecting nerds. Her performance suggests a very bright future indeed. The production is peppered with brilliantly chosen pop songs, from 'Seven Nation Army' to 'Espresso' and a version of 'Pretty Fly for a White Guy' hilariously rewritten about Ofsted inspections. Visual gags are superb, particularly Martin, a pupil traumatised by a meeting with the Giant and now played by a plank of wood. The eventual Giant reveal is also executed with impressive style.
If there is any criticism, it's that the show has almost too many good ideas. Its rigorous commitment to the school satire concept occasionally makes you wish for a more developed comedy about the British education system, something the rushed nature of panto doesn't always allow. Yet, this is a minor point in what is ultimately a riotous success. The live, fizzing energy of pantomime is designed to overcome such rough edges, and this production does so with flair. It stands as a masterclass in how London panto not only survives with a handful of classic plots but actively thrives and innovates.
The show runs at the Lyric Hammersmith from 28 November 2025 to 4 January 2026. Tickets are priced between £15 and £45, and performances last approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes.
