JOCK AND THE BEANSTALK | PAVILION THEATRE, GLASGOW
★★★★
“Traditional Scottish panto is alive and well at the Pavilion…”
Scotland’s traditional take on panto is alive and well at the home of Scottish Variety this year, where River City, Two Doors Down and The Scotts stars team up with a host of local talent and one of the country’s finest panto dames for the gloriously gallus Jock And The Beanstalk, co-written by Pavilion stalwart Liam Dolan.
Welcome to Cowcuddles on the Clyde where the townsfolk live in fear of the evil giant Glaikitguts and his henchman Fleshcreep. It’s there we find Dame Tina Trot and her two sons, Jimmy and Jack, trying to make ends meet without having to sell the family cow, Buttercup. However, when the demands of their overlord become too much, The Trots, along with King Clanky, his daughter Jill, and Mayor Manky, soon find themselves on a quest to save Buttercup and vanquish the giant for good – all with the help of a magical green fairy called Flora.
Well balanced with a good measure of story-telling to link the wordplays, set pieces and comedy routines, Jock And The Beanstalk finds Dolan (who also co-directs with Robert Marsden) playing Jimmy Trot. The King of all things corny, Dolan fires off gag after gag, many of which get a groan but all of which raise a laugh, and is the glue that holds the panto together.
That said, he is joined by a crack ensemble cast. Craig Glover’s Dame Tina Trot is pantomime gold. Matronly but always glamorous, Glover channels the essences of Scotland’s Dames of yesteryear and reigns supreme in an outrageous cookery scene with Dolan and as one half of Fran and Anna, who are backed by The Nutcrackers in a hilarious reworking of The Browns’ 1959 hit, The Three Bells, better know today as The Jimmy Brown Song. Involving cloaks, pots and wooden spoons, it’s rude and riotous, but in a good way.
Other highlights include an unexpected appearance by the Three Bears in which Stephen Purdon demonstrates laugh out loud physical comedy that is simple but genius, while Jennifer Neil is in great voice as Jill Clanky, as is Scott Fletcher as her sweetheart, Jack. If their love story is dialled down in the action of the piece, it positively blossoms when they take the lead on a rousing rendition of Skerryvore’s Take My Hand. And while they may be Mayor and King this year, Purdon and Grado’s now obligatory ‘Brokers Men’ partnership, is very much still in place, their on stage chemistry second to none. Valissa Scott too gives a great turn as Fairy Flora and is more than a match for Jack Jester’s OTT Fleshcreep.
Played to a bright, colourful and crisp digital backdrop, this production retains real warmth and heart despite all the technology, not least when the 14-strong ensemble and junior ensemble join the principals in the big song and dance numbers – their energy and enthusiasm can not be faulted.
With a great mix of pop songs to keep everyone singing, loads of audience participation and a dangerously unpredictable song sheet, Jock And The Beanstalk is a madcap couple of hours of entertainment. Local, steeped in West Coast banter, and family focussed, it honours the panto traditions of the past while giving them a wee tweak and is well worth catching – just be sure to watch out for Headless Eddie? Not that you can miss him!
Run ends 11 January 2026 Tickets HERE
