Taking panto to another dimension - what to expect from Jack & the Beanstalk in 3D at Sunderland Empire

Scaling new heights as Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk is Matthew Wolfenden who’s swapping Emmerdale’s Woolpack for The Wolsey.

The soap actor has trod the boards before, but this is his first panto outing and he brings some great comic timing and a loveable goofiness to the role of Jack.

I visited on the first performance of this run of shows, but there was already a palpable rapport between Matthew and his co-stars Miss Rory as Dame Rorian Trott and Tom Whalley as Silly Simon, the duo who’ve become Empire panto favourites in the past few years.

The scene is set in MackemLand where Dame Trott cuts a dashing figure as the potty-mouthed milkmaid of the local dairy, which she runs with her sons Silly Simon and almost as daft Jack.

Miss Rory looks suitably hot to trot in an array of fabulous outfits, including a super chic flying outfit and Cowgirl number. Sunderland is surely home to the North East’s most-glam dame.

Group scenes in the dairy between the three main characters are really well played, particularly the trio’s take on Chappel Roan’s Hot To Go and Kelis’ Milkshake. The latter is too much of an innuendo opportunity for Miss Rory to miss.

Looming large above the clouds is the BMG - the Big Mackem Giant - with his man servant Fleshcreep doing his dirty work on the ground.

Richard Meek is a devilishly good baddie as Fleshcreep who had us all booing with gusto moments after curtain up.

He’s a great watch on stage, with bags of presence, especially as he tricks Jack into selling him Daisy the Cow en route to Jacky White’s Market.

Not your typical woe-is-me princesses, Emma Crossley and Millie Readshaw bring some girl power to the roles of Princess Jill and The Vegetable Fairy - with the latter delivering some great vegetable-themed word play, even managing to harness the power of a vegan sausage roll to save them from the giant’s clutches.

If it sounds daft, that’s because it is. As all good pantos should be.

You’re handed 3D glasses when you enter the auditorium and they come into play in act two for the classic panto trope: the he’s behind you ghost gag.

It’s really well executed and had the coach loads of school kids in the audience shrieking with excitement as skeletal hands, ghosts and spiders popped out of the screen, so realistic they’ll have you ducking and swerving out the way.

They’re also used to portray the might of the giant, which beats the usual portrayal of the ogre in this panto, sometimes just a pair of big feet on stage.

The glasses are a new addition this year, but it’s a really effective way of engaging the audience even more, something the Empire pantos always do well.

Tom and Miss Rory are a big part of that and while Miss Rory tickles the mams and dads with her double entendre, Tom, who also writes the panto, is just brilliant with the kids.

The younger ones love yelling at him when he runs on the stage and his physical acting skills are made for panto. Make sure to get your little ones on the stage for the singalong at the end if you can. In the words of Silly Simon it’s ‘dead canny’.

The show is, of course, filled with panto takes on current music like song of the moment Defying Gravity and Pink’s Never Gonna Not Dance Again and this year’s young dancers come from The Kathleen Davis Stage School, SK Dance School of Performing Arts and The Worx Academy who give some very energetic ensemble performances.

The first week of this year’s panto run and it’s already full of beans.

Jack and the Beanstalk is at Sunderland Empire until Sunday January 5, 2025. Tickets from ATG Tickets website. Running time is 2hours 40minutes including the interval.

A relaxed performance takes place on Thursday, January 2 at 5pm.

A captioned & audio described performance takes place on Thursday, January 3 at 7pm.