Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack & the Beanstalk
Witch Whey's wicked wheeze won't work - will it?

To order scripts ISBN 1-873855-16-8 – Cast List – Scenes – Extract – Notes

Introduction

A pantomime written in a traditional style, but at the same time refreshingly different, Jack & the Beanstalk treats your cast to some well made characters and dialogue, and conspires to involve your audience to the maximum.

There is the inevitable beanstalk, but the Giant isn't the Baddie of this show, nor is he actually a giant. Add to that a magical Harp which turns into a hang-glider for our heroes to escape, and you have the ingredients for an intriguing story.

There are many opportunities for song and dance, including over 20 suggested titles, and plenty of scope for including an undefined number of senior and junior chorus members in the show.

Principals: Male 9, Female 6, Indeterminate 2

Cast List . . .

The Immortals:

Witch Whey, a baddie
Wizard Wheeze, a goodie
The Beanstalk Elves - junior chorus

The Folk Above:

Jim Giant, a giant by name but not by nature
Sarah Giant, Jim's wife
Detergiant, the castle bouncer (doubled as Squire)
Pungiant & Stringiant, a pair of upper world heavies (doubled as Bean & Dunnitt)
Harriet, the magic harp
Gertie, the golden goose (non-speaking)
Giant's attendants - senior chorus

The Folk Below:

Widow English, the Dame
Jack English, her son (principal boy)
Jill English, her daughter
Simon Smith, Jill's boyfriend
Squire Maguire, (doubled as Detergiant)
Bean and Dunnit, bailiffs (doubled as Pungiant & Stringiant)
King George
Queen Anne
Princess Penelope, their daughter (principal girl)
Stammers, the Major Domo
Annabelle, the cow (non-speaking)
Villagers, courtiers, flowers, etc - senior and junior chorus

List of Scenes . . .

Act I

The Prologue - The Witch's Cave (Front of Tabs)
Scene 1 - The Town Market (Full Set)
Scene 2a - In the Kingdom of the Giants (Half Set)
Scene 2b - A Room in the Royal Palace (Front of Tabs)
Scene 3 - By Widow English's Cottage (Full Set)
Scene 4a - Outside Widow English's Cottage (Front of Tabs)
Scene 4b - At the Top of the Beanstalk (Half Set)
Scene 5 - In the Giant's Castle (Full Set)

**** INTERVAL ****
Act II
The Interlogue - The Witch's Cave (Front of Tabs)
Scene 1 - In the Giant's Castle (Full Set)
Scene 2a - The King's Chamber in Royal Palace (Front of Tabs)
Scene 2b - At the Top of the Beanstalk (Half Set)
Scene 3 - By Widow English's Cottage (Full Set)
Scene 4 - On the Way to the Palace (Front of Tabs) + Community Song
Scene 5 - In the Royal Palace (Full Set)

Extract from Act I Scene 3

Jack Guess who.
Widow Well it's not (latest handsome male rave) I bet!
Jack Correct, it's not. (He releases her) It's me.
Widow Oh here you are at last! I've been so worried about you - Jack, Jack, are you alright, Jack?
Jack I'm fine mother, and have I got a surprise for you!
Widow I don't know - have you?
Jack Yes I have.
Widow Well I hope it's a nice one then - what is it?
Jack I met a nice girl at the Fair, and I've invited her home for tea.
Widow Tea? What tea? I've just used the last tea bag on Jill and that Simon. I'll have to get it back out of the bin and dry it out!
Jack Really mother, I hope we can do better than that - Penny lives in the Palace.
Widow Is that her name - Penny?
Jack Yes.
Widow Well we could do with a few pennies around here, but the small brown round sort.
Jack She's going to introduce me to the Princess - perhaps she'll get me a good job there.
Widow A job in the Palace? What as, a bouncer?
Jack Mother!
Widow Well where is she then?
Jack I'll call her - she's waiting round the corner. Penny!
Penelope enters upstage right
Jack I'd like you to meet my mother - mother, this is Penny.
Penny Pleased to meet you, Mrs English. Jack's told me all about you.
Widow Has he indeed! I could tell you a few things about him too! You're from the Palace are you?
Penny Yes, that's right.
Widow Got a good job there have you?
Penny Well - er - yes, I have a good position there.
Jack Penny sees the Princess every day, mother.
Widow Do you indeed! You know her well then.
Penny Nobody knows her better!
Widow Well you'll find our home a bit different from the Palace I'm afraid. We're going through a period of - er - refurbishment.
Penny (Looking into the house through the window) Oh yes, I can see the man in there measuring up now.
Jack What man?
Widow Yes well, never mind that now. (Quickly) What happened to Annabelle, Jack? Did you get much for her?
Jack That's my other surprise.
Widow Full of surprises today, aren't we? I hope it's another nice one.
Jack I sold Annabelle to an old lady.
Widow A rich old lady?
Jack I'm not sure.
Widow What d'you mean, you're not sure? Has she given you a lot for Annabelle?
Jack She says she has.
Widow She says she has? Well has she or hasn't she? What have you got?
Jack Some beans.
Widow Beans?!
Jack Some magic beans.
Widow Magic ... (she laughs to Penny) Oh he is a little tease, isn't he. Just like his father used to be. (To Jack, holding out her hand) Come on, show me what you've got. (Jack reluctantly gives her the bag of beans) It feels a bit light - did she write you a cheque? I hope you got her card number. (She looks inside) It's not a cheque - it's not coins - it's not nuggets of gold - it's not diamonds - it's (she pours them into her hand) ... BEANS!!

Producer's Notes

This pantomime uses three different full set scenes, separated by half set or front of curtain scenes to allow for backstage activity. Directions given are those used in the original production, but use your imagination according to the facilities available to you.

A list of songs used in the original production is included for your guidance, but feel free to adapt or adopt your own as required.

The concept of the Community Song is where the audience is invited to come up on the stage to help out, and some sort of raucous competition ensues between those brave enough to come up and those left sitting in the auditorium. ("Invited" is perhaps a little inaccurate on occasions, when members of the cast go down in search of friends and other victims!). The positioning of this event just before the final scene also gives people not involved plenty of time to change into their finery for the Walkdown.

I used the general convention that immortals, in this case the Tree Elves, the Witch and the Wizard, speak in rhyme and the mortals in prose, and I have introduced the concept of a Prologue and an Interlogue (no, the latter is not in the dictionary) as much as anything to give time for the chorus to react to the fact that the show has started, and actually get on stage! This is known as pragmatism.

So good luck with your show. Put in local variations as you wish, and if you think you can improve on the verse then do that too! Have fun - otherwise, why do it?

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