JUST across the road from the stage door of Bristol Hippodrome is a public house which until recent times was called The Bunch of Grapes, where you would very often encounter stars appearing in the Hippo enjoying a pre, or post show, drink.

With the pub’s change of name to Smoke and Mirrors, those days are long gone, so you are unlikely to bump into the stars of this season’s panto, Will Young, Charlie Brooks, Andy Ford or Richard Cadell with puppets Sooty and Sweep.

The technique of using modern versions of smoke and mirrors is well represented in Alan McHugh’s spectacularly staged, sumptuously dressed retelling of the much-loved tale of Jack and the Beanstalk.

The 17 scenes, expertly lit, fly by at great speed with a stage full of performers and a big band in the pit – and the only part of that last sentence that is actually true is that the scenes fly by at speed, because in fact there are only eight singing dancers in the ensemble and six musicians in the orchestra pit. The quality of their work and clever production left 99.9 percent of a delighted audience sure that they had been watching a much bigger presentation.

Singer-songwriter Will Young, winner of the first Pop Idol series in 2002, and Charlie Brooks, East Enders’ Janine Butcher, are the big names above the show’s title – they do a good job of getting all the fun out of the battle between good, the Spirit of the Lamb (Young) and evil, Mrs Blunderbore (Brooks).

While their talents are used sparingly, the hard graft of making and retaining contact with the audience falls on the shoulders of Richard Cadell with Sooty and Sweep, and the Hippodrome’s favourite and master of panto Andy Ford. When this quartet team up for one of the fewer than usual pantomime routines, the song If I Were Not Upon the Stage, they produced comic business that had the audience calling for more.

For once the romantic interludes, safely in the vocally and dramatic hands of Ashlyn Weekes (Princess Jill) and Benjamin Yates (Jack Trot), did not put a brake on the happy-go-lucky spirit of the show. Given the opportunity to led that enthusiastic ensemble in I got rhythm, they left the audience quite happy to hear and see more of them.

There is no Dame or slapstick humour to enjoy, but with numbers and comedy routines performed to such a high standard and visually a treat, we even had a flying Vespa, Jack and the Beanstalk will please young and old pantogoers between now and the final night on Sunday 4th January 2026.

GRP