Jack and the Beanstalk is the traditional British pantomime at Christmas at Vancouver’s Metro Theatre in 2025. The show runs from December 12th to January 4th.
This season’s performance is the 40th holiday pantomime put on by Metro Theatre over the years. This annual performance is the theatre’s goofiest event, and most interactive. During the show, in true British pantomime style, audience members can cheer and boo for different characters and shout out suggestions. It’s a night of wonderfully silly jokes and cheerful laughs. It’s a fun play for people of all ages.
Visit metrotheatre.com for details about the theatre and its upcoming shows.
Jack and the Beanstalk at Metro Theatre
The Metro Theatre’s rendition of the old children’s tale is charming and funny. It is chock-full of jokes, puns and the occasional innuendo. Most of them are worth a good laugh, although some might just bring out a good cringe (which is also hilarious). There are also a fair number of political jokes about tariffs and such. They too are all made in good fun.
Why We Like It
A definite highlight of the show for us was Mother Flubber, Jack’s mom, for her wit and onslaught of jokes and puns. The role is played by Victor Hunter. He has been in lots of other shows in Vancouver too, including in the role of Lumiere (the Casanova candelabra) in Beauty & the Beast with Theatre Under the Stars in 2016. He has also been in various roles in productions with Gateway Theatre, the Arts Club and a variety of other companies.
Another fun part of Jack and the Beanstalk for us was picking out and recognizing some of the musical numbers as they include remixes of other popular musical numbers. The singing, dancing, sets and costumes were also all very well done, as was the acting by the entire cast, including Abigail Woodhouse who played Jack. It’s a fabulous story.
The Metro Theatre season of the pantomime has a number of special days in 2025 throughout their showings. On December 19th, for example, there is an audience talk-back after the show for people to chat with the cast. On December 20th the audience is invited to join the performance in a sing-along. December 26th and 31st have a prize draw and special New Years event respectively.
The choreography for the play is done by Shelley Stewart Hunt, a dancer and performer in her own right, but also a professional choreographer known for work on a number of movies and shows including Schmigadoon and 21 Jump Street.
Music for the pantomime is done by Kat MacColl who has written two original Canadian musicals. These are This is Now (2018) and That Was Then (2023). Both were performed in Vancouver in their debut years.
Visit metrotheatre.com for details about the theatre and its upcoming shows.
Other Information
To learn more about the theatre and the Jack & the Beanstalk pantomime, see the metrotheatre.com website.
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