Live theatre, whether it be professional or amateur is all about entertainment and the cast of the Dawlish team at the Shaftesbury Theatre had certainly read the script, writes Martin Blundell

This is a smaller venue, so there is less room for sophisticated and complicated sets, but this was more than compensated for by the strong writing and engaging performances.

The script was indeed a new take on the traditional Jack & the Beanstalk tale, written by Chris Matanlé which was completely in keeping with the time-honoured story but with a new perspective.

We live in challenging times and live theatre has taken more than its fair share of battering with frequent cast changes and last-minute alterations. This production was no exception, with Tom Malcolm (aged just 15) as Billy and Dan North as good old Jack, stepping in with only three weeks until curtain up.

The jokes came thick and fast and had a suitable level of cringe, which of course adds to the attraction of panto.

Father and son double act of Andrew (Dame Trott) and Tom Malcolm (Billy) kept us entertained throughout, engaging the audience all the way, and this was married with strong performances from all of the key characters which kept us laughing and booing all the way through. Indeed, the villain of the piece, the very scary and brilliantly named Venus Flytrap (Boo hiss!) was played by the totally convincing Amy Burton-Smith and asked for and received some serious audience reaction with plenty of booing to be heard.

Jack (Dan North) himself had us on-side right from the start, we were perpetually willing him to be victorious. Other key roles were well executed, including a very regal King Joe (Paul O’Brien), a suitably sweet Princess Tamara (complete with so many Tamara/ tomorrow jokes) and a very tuneful and magical Fairy Sugarsnap (Liz Bourbon). Daisy the Cow was a crowd pleaser and even the giant had us feeling a bit sorry for him.

The singing was superb with great song choices with ‘Shut Up and Raise Your Glass’ being a real earworm of a finale number, and I must single out the beautiful rendition of ‘Smile’ by Dame Trott.

We also had the joy of a dance troupe which was well-choreographed by Hannah Cridge, and an enthusiastic ensemble.

All of the dancers and ensemble were fully engaged with the story and added to the fun. A panto thrives of pace and Dawlish got his just right, enough pause to allow the jokes to sink in but never a slow moment.

The costumes were fun and very much added to the visuals, alongside the highly effective lighting and sound which complemented the show, adding to the overall spectacle.

So, were we entertained? Too right we were. The laughs and boos kept on coming, and we left with big smiles on our faces.

The commitment of the players is beyond question and for the joy these people bring to people is simply marvellous.

This is a smashing venue and a delight to attend. Long live local theatre and let’s hope more and more that these endeavours continue to be well supported.