Revision as of 12:26, 12 December 2025

The Folkestone-Hythe Operatic and Dramatic Society celebrated their 51st year of Christmas pantomimes with a production of Jack and the beanstalk on 12-28 December 2025 at The Tower Theatre, Folkestone.

Foreword

	Jack and the Beanstalk
	[[File:\|300px]] Jack and the Beanstalk promotional image
Dates	12-28 December 2024
Venue	The Tower Theatre
Director	Alice Hawkins
Producer	Emma Franks, Richard Hawkins & Karen Prineas
Musical Director	Andy Hartley
Choreographer	Sophie Burgess-Adams

The enchanting tale of Jack and the beanstalk revolves around a young boy and his mother, who face the tough decision of selling their only cow for much-needed money. On his way to the market, Jack encounters a mysterious stranger who persuades him to trade the cow for a handful of magic beans. This fateful exchange ignites his mother's fury and leads to the astonishing growth of a giant beanstalk overnight, setting the stage for Jack's unforgettable adventure.

Originally staged as a pantomime in 1819, this adaptation by Peter Denyer premiered at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon in 1993 and was most recently revised in 2005.

Alice Hawkins has cherished her involvement with pantomime since she first joined the junior ensemble at the age of eight. Over the years, she has taken on various roles, including producing numerous FHODS pantomimes at The Tower Theatre. This year, she is thrilled to step into the role of Director. Alice feels incredibly fortunate to work with Andy Hartley as Musical Director and welcomes back Sophie Burgess-Adams as Choreographer, both of whom bring immense talent, knowledge, and dedication to the production.

No show at The Tower Theatre could come to life without the remarkable team of volunteers. From producers, props, lighting, wardrobe, and stage crew to the chaperones and our wonderful front of house team, we extend our heartfelt thank you to each one of you.

Lastly, we hope you enjoy this pantomime as much as we have loved bringing to it life. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous New Year.

With warm regards, Alice and the team.

Cast

Hannah Ridley as Jack
Steve Hawkins as Dame Trot
Jack Willcox as Silly Billy
Ava Wright as Jill
Chris Willcox as Fleshcreep
Michelle Hartley as Fairy Moonbeam
Sheelagh Blackham as Queen Matilda
Pauline Gullidge as Grabbit
Tracey Silvester as Villager
Sofie Allen & Shia Wood as Daisy the Cow

Junior Villagers

Leo Willcox, Blossom Morgan & Samantha Hartley

Giant

Joe Doherty, Dylan Bryan & Paul Milton

Team A Seniors

Annie Gage, Winnie Southby, Poppy Fisher-Hindle, Florence Bell & Olivia Wickens

Team A Juniors

Gracie Fields, Ellie-Rose Grist, Isla Rolfe, Scarlett Turner & Harper Smith

Team B Seniors

Hattie Sparks, Bethany Giles, Flo Hills-Lawes, Violet Hawkins & Orla O'Callaghan

Team B Juniors

==

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 | choreographer = [[Sophie Burgess-Adams]]
 }}
+The [[Folkestone-Hythe Operatic and Dramatic Society]] celebrated their 51st year of Christmas pantomimes with a production of ''Jack and the beanstalk'' on 12-28 December 2025 at [[The Tower Theatre]], Folkestone.
+=Foreword=
+The enchanting tale of ''Jack and the beanstalk'' revolves around a young boy and his mother, who face the tough decision of selling their only cow for much-needed money. On his way to the market, Jack encounters a mysterious stranger who persuades him to trade the cow for a handful of magic beans. This fateful exchange ignites his mother's fury and leads to the astonishing growth of a giant beanstalk overnight, setting the stage for Jack's unforgettable adventure.
+Originally staged as a pantomime in 1819, this adaptation by Peter Denyer premiered at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon in 1993 and was most recently revised in 2005.
+Alice Hawkins has cherished her involvement with pantomime since she first joined the junior ensemble at the age of eight. Over the years, she has taken on various roles, including producing numerous FHODS pantomimes at The Tower Theatre. This year, she is thrilled to step into the role of Director. Alice feels incredibly fortunate to work with Andy Hartley as Musical Director and welcomes back Sophie Burgess-Adams as Choreographer, both of whom bring immense talent, knowledge, and dedication to the production.
+No show at The Tower Theatre could come to life without the remarkable team of volunteers. From producers, props, lighting, wardrobe, and stage crew to the chaperones and our wonderful front of house team, we extend our heartfelt thank you to each one of you.
+Lastly, we hope you enjoy this pantomime as much as we have loved bringing to it life. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous New Year.
+With warm regards,
+Alice and the team.
+=Cast=
+* [[Hannah Ridley]] ''as Jack''
+* [[Steve Hawkins]] ''as Dame Trot''
+* [[Jack Willcox]] ''as Silly Billy''
+* [[Ava Wright]] ''as Jill''
+* [[Chris Willcox]] ''as Fleshcreep''
+* [[Michelle Hartley]] ''as Fairy Moonbeam''
+* [[Sheelagh Blackham]] ''as Queen Matilda''
+* [[Pauline Gullidge]] ''as Grabbit''
+* [[Tracey Silvester]] ''as Villager''
+* [[Sofie Allen]] & [[Shia Wood]] ''as Daisy the Cow''
+==Junior Villagers==
+* [[Leo Willcox]], [[Blossom Morgan]] & [[Samantha Hartley]]
+==Giant==
+* [[Joe Doherty]], [[Dylan Bryan]] & [[Paul Milton]]
+==Team A Seniors==
+[[Annie Gage]], [[Winnie Southby]], [[Poppy Fisher-Hindle]], [[Florence Bell]] & [[Olivia Wickens]]
+==Team A Juniors==
+[[Gracie Fields]], [[Ellie-Rose Grist]], [[Isla Rolfe]], [[Scarlett Turner]] & [[Harper Smith]]
+==Team B Seniors==
+[[Hattie Sparks]], [[Bethany Giles]], [[Flo Hills-Lawes]], [[Violet Hawkins]] & [[Orla O'Callaghan]]
+==Team B Juniors==
+==

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