Panto 2022/23 - Jack & the Beanstalk

'Jack and the Beanstalk' 2022-2023
Up close, immersive and very interactive

We've finished touring this show now - almost 100 performances have been seen by over 14,000 people - and more than 2000 of you have performed alongside us, sharing the fun of live theatre and making some amazing memories

The fun doesn't have to be over though - you can try your hand at creating your own version of Jack and the Beanstalk - just like we did back in September 2022 during our 'Pantomime Creation'.

You can read about it, including the 12 incredible endings made up by you, at the bottom of this page.

Jack and the Beanstalk, by YOU

To write your own version, you can

click the button to download the written version as your story starter,

watch this opening scene

THEN

then let your imagination fly!

If you'd like to join our Pantomime Creation

this year, look out for Cinderella Stories in September!

Another chance to see this fantastic show! Following more than 70 performances

this winter, we're absolutely delighted to be

touring again in May!

Thanks to Arts Council funding, we're prioritising disabled audiences on this tour - people that might find it difficult to access performances in other settings,

kids that don't attend mainstream schools,

or just people that need a more relaxed environment.

Friday 5th May at 2pm

Somerford Arc, Christchurch

This is a relaxed performance especially welcoming to our disabled community

GET TICKETS

Sunday 7th May at 2pm

Westbury Manor, Fareham

Family show held in the gardens of Westbury Manor

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Monday 8th May at 11am

Rockbourne Roman Villa

Family show held in the grounds of the Roman Villa; includes free museum entry

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“lots of participation

with the children who took part

in all sorts of roles, and, of course,

everybody got the chance

to boo and hiss, sing and dance and clap and cheer”

“Exceptional.

SO engaging, fresh, unique, creative"

“Engagement and joy on every child’s face”

Friday 12th May at 2pm

Somerford Arc, Christchurch

This performance is for Home Educating Families

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"Fun, engaging

and really interactive.

The energy and charisma

of the cast were infectious

and the faces of the children said it all"

“Engagement and joy on every child’s face”

“a magical and colourful performance”

Wednesday 10th May at 10.30am

BH1 Elim Church, Bournemouth

This is a relaxed performance especially welcoming to our disabled community

GET TICKETS

Community performances in May

We’ve had a lovely few days taking our ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ drama workshop

to adult day care centres.

Thanks to Darren Matthews of Dazzarama and Treehouse's Ben Lindsey-Clark,

we hope more people with disabilities will be able to share the fun

of performing on stage with us when they come along to the show.

If you are service user of any of these Day Centres,

please contact them directly for performance details.

Wednesday 10th May: The Juniper Centre (Christchurch Connect / Tricuro)

Thursday 11th May: Diverse Abilities at The Beehive Centre

Thursday 11th May: The Purbeck Day Centre

“We LOVED the whole performance! It was wonderful to see our less confident children up, dancing and smiling.

Lots of feedback from parents saying they went home singing songs, dancing and drawing pictures of the event”

“Great adaptation of the story, humour was perfect for the children and adults. LOVED the inclusion of the audience members!

All adults and children really enjoyed every aspect, thank you”

What to expect

laugh, join in, gasp, sing along, go home smiling...

We stage our Pantomime in-the-round rather than on a distant stage, allowing the whole audience to see and hear properly. Its a very immersive experience, with the actors surrounded by and interacting with the audience. The action feels VERY close, especially if there's a hungry dragon on the prowl or a chase scene!
Around 30 audience members can have a small part in the show, from minor speaking parts to interactive scenery (strictly volunteers only - we never pick on people!). It makes each performance unique to its audience, and adds a layer of fun and involvement far beyond dragging unwilling participants onto stage, or just shouting from your seat.
We are a small company, our cast are very skilled, and every show is written for specific actors to perform using their unique talents. With the freedom to harness the skills of our cast members, our shows might include live music, stilt-walking, gymnastics, rapping, sword fighting....things which make live theatre vivid and exciting.
We write for children, families, and people with disabilities of all ages. Age guide 4+. Shows are 1 hr 15min with no interval. We have a 'soft start' - during the first 15 minutes you can volunteer to be in the show and have a quick practice of your part, and anyone who's anxious can meet the baddie beforehand so that they can relax and enjoy the show. We all laugh together: there's no jokes which might make you feel uncomfortable in the company of kids.

Cinderella! Panto for winter 2023/24

Book 'Cinderella' now for your school or venue!

We're usually fully booked by the end of Feb, so drop us a line now: info@treehousetheatre.com

Photo credits on this page: Louisa Lindsey-Clark, Tom Sparrow, Rob Jayne, Hattie Miles

Wondering where our story came from? Read on...

Jack and the Beanstalk
Story Creation - September 2022

STOP PRESS!!

We are absolutely delighted to announce that we've been awarded Arts Council funding to write our Pantomime

with help from ALL OF YOU!

Whats at the top of the Beanstalk? You decide!!

Environmental Responsibility

We have committed to making this tour as sustainable as possible - thinking about how we make and re-use

the props and costumes, how we travel around, and how our audiences reach the shows.

Accessibility

We want to make our work as accessible as possible - wherever possible we are striving to remove barriers which stop YOU enjoying our shows.

We have been working with Chris Flounders from Simply Training for the past 2 years to embed sign language in our shows, and continue to build on our skills and knowledge with every production.

We try to hold performances that are accessible on public transport, or are right at the heart of the community we want to perform for, at sensible family friendly prices.

Please drop us a line for more info or any suggestions

Thanks to Arts Council funding, we have created the story for this year’s Pantomime - 'Jack and the Beanstalk' - with help from all of you!

We toured an interactive version of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ to schools, venues and events during September - YOU have decided what happens next - and helped perform it too!

It's been hilarious, silly, collaborative, and full of unexpected characters, monsters and plot twists!

The ideas from these improvised performances will be gathered together and from that amazing well of creativity, our panto will emerge! The stories are very unique to their audiences, with 'in-jokes' and often have a strange dream-like quality. Its fascinating to see where different groups of people wander from the same starting point.