During the later part of the winter school holidays we headed off to the Sydney Opera House to watch Jack and the Beanstalk. Both T and I were super excited to introduce the kids to its stage adaptation having both viewed it as children ourselves. Nothing could quite prepare us for what we were to view with the kids.
Jack in the Beanstalk has been reimagined by Italian artist Chiara Guidi of Socìetas Raffaella Sanzio. It’s a version you are unlikely to expect; dark, bleak and full of existential angst. At times I thought I had been thrust back into my university drama club days and was in the audience of one of our performances. I had to pinch myself to remember I was at a performance for children.
But it also has magic. Jack’s dreaming provides relief from the darkness that seems to surround his life. His Mother, no better than then giant if you ask me, is constantly at him, picking, complaining. It’s only through his dreams that he seems to escape. A chance encounter with stranger as he is takes his cow to market is the catalyst for a huge shift in the performance. This pivotal moment sees the audience move from passive viewers to becoming entwined in the performance themselves. Children are drawn from the audience to feed the giant (don’t worry, they over come him) and to join the orchestra. We threw beans. We woke the giant. We were part of the action.
Before attending the show I wondered what the set design would be like, how the bean stalk would be brought to life and how the castle would be revealed. There was real magic in its construction. It was breathtaking as was Jack’s ascent up the bean stalk (seriously, the guy has been touched by fairy dust!).
A haunting but clever musical arrangement accompanies the narrative, adding a further element to the dramatic, captivating story that is Jack and the Beanstalk.
We left the theatre with Miss N jiggling a few beans in her pocket as she rambled something about growing them when we got home while Master R asked for my phone so he could google “how to climb a bean stalk”. They’re both still talking about the production and even created some weird Musical.ly recount of it to tell their friends.
Jack and the Beanstalk is recommended for children 8+. It could be scary in parts with monsters and scary imaginings enacted throughout the performance. Strobe lighting and smoke also feature at times. This is a show that will make both you and your kids think, but it’s well worth it. Head to the Sydney Opera House for full ticketing details.
Thank you to Sydney Opera House for inviting us to review the production. Of course, all opinions are our own.