Jack and the Beanstalk,
His Majesty's,
Aberdeen Glasgow Herald
Dec 2000
"Oh look - it's a talkin' futret." Dame
Trott is - by her accent - a local quine. (Albeit,
underneath those frills and flounces, it's
actually Billy Riddoch looning around in the best
interests of Aberdeen panto.) The futret - a
ferret, so Ofpants informed me - is, in fact,
Otis the Aardvark, the furry face of Children's
BBC. In truth, Otis doesn't do much but, like
Daisy the Cow, he supplies a certain "aaaw"
factor, especially among younger audiences. Su
Pollard's tunic - she plays Jack - carries
something of an "oooh!" factor of its
own: thigh-skimming, as opposed to thigh-slapping,
it is cheekily brief. Ofpants was relieved she
did not scale the full height of the foliage.
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Pollard,
however, strides forth unfazed. She's a chirpy,
irrepressible Jack who simply goes for it - song
or sword-fight, she'll do battle with anything.
And if audiences wonder why Dame Trott obviously
hails from roonaboot while her son, Jack, has
taken himself off down south . . . well, maybe
Riddoch can refer to Jack being well-educated (at
an approved school). Riddoch's Dame has, in fact, gone from
strength to strength since last year's panto.
There's a fonsie, saucy geniality - coupled with
sly crack full of local colour - that seems
utterly artless, yet the flat boots and
occasional gruffness kick in nicely to allay any
notions of female impersonation.
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He's
just right as Dame, as is John Tearney as the
evil Fleshcreep - a bit of a spiv/spoof heavy who
offers menace with humour. There is singing -
even the Fairy has a number - but Ofpants reckons
it purls along a brisk enough pace especially
when Riddoch trots into action.
Mary Brennan.
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