What never fails to amaze about Edinburgh’s panto is that year after year, it seems to reinvent itself. This year the city’s beloved panto team delivered the most intriguing combination – an unpredictable quirkiness on a stage dressed with the most spectacular set.
This production was exquisitely lit and its set extravagantly and effectively designed so that it felt like something special, something pretty swanky well before the first flash of (many) pyrotechnics. Indeed, it was so extravagant that the cost was comedically referred to by Allan Stewart (Dame May McTrot) on more than one occasion, pointing out that sacrifices had to be made in the budget elsewhere. Funny? Yes. True? Most probably.
And so, there we all went, flying headlong into PantoLand but where we landed was anyone’s guess as there was almost no narrative which, as it turned out, didn’t matter one wee bit. Fair enough, there were Jack and the Beanstalk signifiers so the audience was aware that the billing in the programme kind of matched was going on on the stage – two dancing giants in the opening scene, a glowing bag of magic beans, a safety-harnessed climb to the top of an inflatable beanstalk and a ‘Jill and Jack attack’ of a 3rd giant involving mahoosive bits of cutlery – but really, in its essence, this show was a glittering festive romp which was stamped with Allan Stewart’s extraordinary range of talent and quality of quirk.
There was a Banter Button, a Variety Show, a Masked Singer, the Traitors … there was even a replay of Scotland’s dream World Cup Qualifier Goal … and the audience loved it all, cracking along with their beloved cast at breakneck speed.
Grant Stott (Fleshcreep) and Jordan Young (Jack) were in fine form, and the performance and costume of Clare Gray (Pat the Cow) were superb. Gail Watson (Spirit of the Beans) and Amber Sylvia Edwards (Princess Jill) held their own amongst this well established chemistry-laden team, which is no mean feat as this crew could be funny in their sleep.
Of course, there were the elements of this panto that we’ve all come to expect – Allan and Grant’s flashy introductory opening numbers, risque did-Allan-really-say-that gags (oh yes, he really did!), outrageous audience banter, Jordan’s breathless performance recap, Aunty May’s stage trotting tongue twisters and audience singalong, but this year there were wee tweaks, wee comedic nuances and downright silly funny additions raising the expected to the hilariously unexpected.
Intriguingly, Allan Stewart dedicated a musical tribute to his own long and successful career, euphorically concluding ‘I Have Survived’ which reinforced the nudge-nudge reminders that next year, the panto would be returning to its spiritual home, The King’s Theatre, Edinburgh. Hurrah! The audience concluded by cheering for the cast and for the juggernaut phenomenon of this much-loved panto itself – not for the triumph of good over evil brought about by Jack and Jill’s lethal giant-killing cutlery which was pretty much forgotten/overlooked/irrelevant.
Well done to the King’s Panto team, high fives and ‘mon the Hibs all round! Another cracker of a show which Scotland’s capital city holds so dear.
Playing until 11th January 2026, https://www.capitaltheatres.com/shows/panto-2025-jack-and-the-beanstalk/
Reviewer: Susan Cohen
Reviewed: 16th December 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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