Reviewer: Daniel Shipman
Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It’s panto season again! (Oh no it isn’t, etcetera…) The Opera House panto returns this year with its take on Jack and the Beanstalk, and I’m glad to report that it’s an absolute blast.
Jason Manford returns for a second year in the starring role, and I was once again blown away not only by the comic excellence that one would expect from a comedian of his calibre, but by that cracking singing voice and his easy camaraderie with the rest of the cast, especially Ben Nickless.
Nickless, meanwhile, is returning for his fifth (!) consecutive year in Manchester pantomime, and it’s easy to see why he keeps being asked back. His rapport with the audience is a consistent highlight of the evening, blending plenty of energy for the kids with that cheeky humour that keeps the grown-ups in the room engaged and laughing.
Adults will have just as much fun as kids, and surely that’s what Christmas is all about.
Nickless has an established set of routines that are easily recognisable from year to year. You don’t mind the familiarity though – just like a fine (mulled) wine, they only seem to get better with age. His starring moment is surely his rendition of a classic Christmas song, using more impressions than you can shake a flashing plastic wand at. (Admittedly, these vary wildly in quality, but Nickless’s commitment to even the naff-est of jokes is all part of the charm.)
I am more familiar with Myra Dubois from her late-night drag escapades in the village, where her stage presence is fearsome and side-splitting in equal measure, so I was keen to see how this translated to the family-friendly(ish) world of panto. Happily, her years of experience in Christmas productions up and down the country pay off handsomely. As the wife of the evil giant and the villain of the piece, Myra may be booed constantly throughout the evening, but I suspect everyone in the room would happily admit that her scenes are the highlight of the show. This is no easy feat when up against the standard of talent gracing the Opera House stage in this production.
Jack and the Beanstalk is everything you could want from a big-budget pantomime.
Jack and the Beanstalk is everything you could want from a big-budget pantomime – star casting, quick-fire jokes you can’t believe are uttered in front of children, and as camp as a field of tents. Adults will have just as much fun as kids, and surely that’s what Christmas is all about.
– Daniel Shipman
Jack and the Beanstalk runs at Manchester Opera House until 31 December 2023.