Uddlery fantastic this has to be the best Chippy panto yet!
The Theatre Chipping Norton always put on the best panto in Oxfordshire and this year’s pantomime is Jack & The Beanstalk.
Possibly one of the trickiest pantos with the build up to a giant which can often disappoint, this panto has a wondeful take that works perfectly but we’ll get to that later. A great panto brings a heady mix of comedy, innuendos, engaging characters and Jack & The Beanstalk delivered across the board. Add to that catchy music, audience participation, slick choreography and you’re on to a winner.
This is no off the shelf panto and Chippy Theatre brings it’s own unique twist with a Viking theme. Set in Smorgasbord with a captivating plot, the cast take you with them on a story following Inge Klippansofa’s bid to take over and rule the realm with Anglo-Saxon Jack and his trusty cow Daisy the only hope to save them all.
Playing the love to hate panto villain, Alisa Joy absolutely excels in this role. With an evil cackle, lots of sass, she exudes personality. One of the many things I love about Chipping Norton Theatre is that it’s small enough to be really close to the action and you get the whole facial expressions and connnection with the audience.
Making his professional debut as Jack, Josh Rosewood delivered a stellar performance, embodying the heroic spirit of the character flawlessly. He was joined by Daisy, played by Ruth Brotherton, in the most creative costume. Wonderfully smiley, so funny, we loved her. Jack’s love interested is Inge’s little sister Pipsqueak played by Maddison Nixon. The casting was spot on—she wasn’t just a sidekick; she truly held her own and shone on stage.
Every great panto needs a dame, and Jack’s mother, Gertrude, embodied everything a great dame should be. Andy Cryer was absolutely AMAZING! A seasoned panto pro, he brought just the right mix of cheeky humor, uproarious comedy, and over-the-top costumes that had us cheering and clapping with every entrance. Hiya Gertie!
Now let’s talk about the giant as usually this is just a large puppet with sound effect roars. Tapping into Norse mythology this giant deserves a thunderous applause. Roger Parkins brings his big personality to a loveable character and you’ll just need to go and see how they bring him to life.
Special shout out has to go to the Pippins who were the young actors in last nights performance. They were slick, professional, engaging and I was so impressed.
Jack and the Beanstalk is proof that the sky’s the limit for panto fun.
Chipping Norton Theatre Social Impact
Whilst producing exciting and quality theatre is what they are largely known for, many people are unaware of the Community Outreach work in and around Chipping Norton. As a charity they work with young people, people from low income backgrounds, people with special educational needs and learning disabilities and those experiencing mental health challenges; including those suffering from dementia.
In just the last year The Theatre have provided ….
- 11,000 free school holiday meals
- 965 holiday craft activities
- 866 Community Tickets to people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to experience theatre
This includes families in our free school meal programme, refugees and Ukrainian families, economically disadvantaged families, adults and children with learning disabilities and young people looked after in the care system. - 650 mental health art packs for secondary school students
- 45 summer holiday drama workshop places
- 45 mental health workshops in local schools for young people needing support
- 6 free family films in the school holidays
In the Youth Theatre, almost 50% of places are funded by bursaries including two new Youth Theatre Open groups which provide the first step for young people with SEN who might otherwise be excluded from this type of activity and are often marginalised in formal education settings.
When people support the work by buying tickets, becoming a member, sponsoring outreach programmes, or donating they are in turn helping to ensure this vital support for people in the local community can continue.
The Theatre has been at the heart of the community in Chipping Norton; bringing laughter, joy, original work and the arts to the Cotswolds. This is not possible without supporters including The Dragon School.
The Chippy Norton Theatre pantomime has been sponsored by Kingham Hill School and
