Green tale given extra with two-headed giant

MUFFIN Hurst has been at the helm of Henley Children’s Theatre for 36 years and the group is known for giving traditional pantomimes a little twist.

This year’s production is the group’s 55th show, Jack and the Beanstalk.

“Essentially it’s the traditional story,” says Muffin, “but I’ve altered and adjusted it this year to suit the children that we have in the seniors.”

Times are hard and Jack trades the family cow for some magic beans, much to his mother Dame Trot’s dismay.

He has to climb the resulting massive beanstalk to reach the Giant’s castle, above the clouds.

He meets Grimlins, a Golden Harp, a ghost and a Giant and has to work his way out of trouble.

“So, Jack goes up the beanstalk and there’s a Giant Land.

“We’ve got a two-headed Giant, that’s quite fun. There are two of them in the costume, it’s quite funny.

“They’ve got to practise their three-legged race skills, but it’s really lovely.

“We have two separate casts, we have a red team and a blue team, and so therefore there are four of them playing the giant in total. They do it in pairs and luckily they’re all really good friends. I had to make sure that they were happy to be in a costume together.

“They’re such great kids and they’ve known each other for quite a while. They’re having quite a laugh rehearsing it together, which is fun.”

Henley Children’s Theatre Group was founded in 1969 by Muffin’s grandmother, Flavia Pickworth.

Muffin’s father, Mike Hurst, ran it from 1981.

Then in 1993, Muffin took over, making her the third generation of her family to be in charge of the group.

The shows are peppered with topical references and jokes for all ages, with children playing the roles of Grimlins and Beanies.

Muffin adds: “It’s traditional, but with little twists along the way.

“The bailiffs are called Alexa and Siri and they are quite fun because they say ‘Sorry, I can’t answer that right now’ and all those stupid things.

“They’re only a small part but they’re quite topical.

“We’ve got a bit of six-seven in there, that stupid expression that the kids are all using. The Dame is good fun in this pantomime and obviously we’ve got Jack, we’ve got the Golden Harp, we’ve got the Fairy, who’s an old crone and we’ve got Grim who is the henchman for the Giant and they are slightly more alternative and attention-grabbing perhaps.

“The Dame’s fun, very traditional, she’s silly and a buffoon and all those sorts of things.”

Over the last few years, Mike Hurst has performed two gigs at the Kenton Theatre to raise funds for research into Parkinson’s disease.

The family holds the Guinness World Record for most theatrical members of a family to appear on stage, a total of 24 people, when they performed Puss in Boots at the Kenton Theatre in December 2003.

Mike and wife Marjorie took part along with their six children, Tim, Alexis, Muffin, Bryony, Jonas and Adam, their children’s spouses, Lynsey, Nathan, Ben and Ruth, and their grandchildren, Ben, Ellie, Aisling, Cassian, Liberty, Flavia, Emerald, Tabitha, Antigone, Pollyanna, Madeleine and Amelie.

Their ages ranged from one to 63.

“Everything has been really good at the theatre recently,” says Muffin. “The new management I think have really been looking after it and are really nice to deal with so we’re all quite happy about that.

“I try to make the panto fun for the children in it and obviously want to appeal to all ages in the audience.

“I think pantomime is such a lovely time for family to come together.

“Isn’t it great that you can go to something with your grandmother, grandchildren, the whole gamut?

“I think it’s good to be traditional and yet have a few things that are fun for the younger generation to get and it’s been going for so many years.”

l Henley Children’s Theatre presents Jack and the Beanstalk at the Kenton Theatre in New Street, Henley, from Friday, January 2 to Sunday, January 4. On Friday and Saturday there are shows at 1pm and 6pm, while on Sunday there are shows at 11am and 4pm. Tickets cost £17.75 adults, £13.75 under-16s and the show has a running time of two hours and five minutes. For more information, call the box office on (01491) 525050 or visit thekenton.org.uk