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Yorkshire’s biggest family pantomime, Jack And The Beanstalk, opened in December 2022 to standing ovations and glowing reviews, and will run until Sunday 22 January at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford.
Pantomime legend Billy Pearce, leads the star-studded line-up playing Farmer Billy and is joined by Emmerdale star and former King of the Jungle Danny Miller as the title role of Jack and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK runner-up and musical theatre performer Divina De Campo as The Spirit of the Beans. They are joined by West End stars Aisha Jawando, Jocasta Almgill and Bradford favourite Sarah Goggin.
In order to deliver this “slick, well-paced production” (Telegraph & Argus), which is “colourful, fast moving … and again crammed full of whizz bang effects” (Yorkshire Times), there is an army of backstage people, production crew and venue staff who work tirelessly during rehearsals and every performance to bring this gigantic show to life. Here’s a peek behind the scenes into what audiences might not know:
- The production (set, costumes, lighting, equipment) arrived on 8 x 45 foot wagons over 3 days
- Alhambra Theatre crew worked 1,050 hours in the first week which included the fit up, rehearsals and shows
- 206 lamps have been rigged/hung in the auditorium and on stage to light the panto this year
- 49 flying bars out of the 58 bars available in the Alhambra Theatre are used for the panto; the heaviest piece flown is 360kg (360 x 1kg bags of sugar)
- The Deputy Stage Manager says ‘GO” 284 times during the show giving lighting, pyro, flying, sound and the crew their cues – that’s 20,164 over the run
- 17 pyros (stage fireworks) are used in the show, which is a total of 1,207 over the run
- There are 1,100 feathers on the multiple costumes worn in the panto; and 36,000 beanstalk leaves fall across the audience on every show
- In an effort to be as ‘green’ as possible, the jet pack that Billy flies up the beanstalk with, is powered by leftover Brussel Sprouts….
- It will take 17 crew an estimated 12 hours each overnight to dismantle and pack the panto in to the 8 wagons to leave a clear stage ready for the next production.
- Approximately 500 baubles adorned the Christmas trees in the venue; the largest bauble on the main tree in the foyer is half a metre wide, and the longest bauble is just under 1 metre long
- During the panto so far, the Food & Beverage team has provided enough drinks to fill a standard sized swimming pool
- An estimated 7,220 merchandise items will have been sold by the end of the panto run, including our own Cow (Pat) plush toy
- Approximately 32,200 confectionary items have been sold by the Kiosk team so far, including ice cream products, bags of chocolate and sweets
- Theatre staff will usually start making “oh no it isn’t” jokes with colleagues in summer when Front of House start their preparations for the pantomime run.
The annual Alhambra Theatre pantomime brings together the work of over 30 technical and production staff, 20 performers and musicians. Plus, there are up to an additional 160 venue staff, including food & beverage, box office, cleaning, front of house and stage-door teams, who work to ensure the venue is ready to open its doors to the public during the run of pantomime.
“.. a credit to director Ed Curtis, blending high end special effects with traditional panto stunts.” Telegraph & Argus
“Jack and the Beanstalk is visually mind-blowing … making it the ultimate spectacular pantomime” 5/5 Yorkshire Post
“the lavish magical effects of the Alhambra’s Jack and the Beanstalk set it apart from other family shows.” Telegraph & Argus
Jack & the Beanstalk - Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Saturday 10 December 2022 – Sunday 22 January 2023
Relaxed Performance - Tuesday 10 January 2023 at 6pm
Tickets: £41 - £17 (inclusive of booking fees)
Call the Box Office on 01274 432000 or visit bradford-theatres.co.uk
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Thank you for shedding light on the dedication and talent behind the scenes of the Alhambra Theatre's pantomime productions. Your insights enrich our appreciation for the arts and the people who make them possible.