Jack and the Beanstalk – One Weekend Down, One to Go!

Halfway through the run as Dame Trott in Jack and the Beanstalk with Heckington Players and it’s been a fascinating weekend from a writer’s point of view with four very different (almost) sell-out audiences.

• Friday evening – wonderfully receptive audience, made up predominantly of adults. They took no time to warm up, perhaps feeding off the energy generated by the inevitable opening night nerves and adrenaline. Responded particularly well to the wordplay and wittier jokes.
• Saturday matinee – mainly families; children, parents, and grandparents. They seemed to take longer to settle into the show and I felt we didn’t totally have them on board until the cow milking scene – Simon Trott was definitely a hit with the younger audience members. The ‘interview section’ in Act One got a lovely reaction.
• Saturday evening – mainly adults again, with some larger parties from groups and workplaces. They were onboard from the very beginning and laughing all the way ‘til the end. Seemed to particularly enjoy the character humour, innuendo and one-liner gags. Most popular scene by far was the one set on ‘Dead Posh Airlines’.
• Sunday matinee – mostly younger children with the Brownies and Guides. Most big laughs came from the sillier stuff – the weather forecast slosh scene, the cheerleading comedy dance routine, the ghost gag and the chase scene. Great interactions with the villain.