This is Clive Rowe’s 11th appearance in the Hackney Empire pantomime, and he’s on regal form. Sporting a series of outrageous costumes by Lotte Collett, he’s a flouncy and flirtatious Dame — his voice, charisma and bosom all immense.
Writer-director Susie McKenna is even more of a Hackney veteran, and her 17th panto here is a sumptuously bonkers spin on Jack and the Beanstalk that involves superbugs, recorded cameos by Jon Snow and Robert Peston, and a distinctly scary giant. There are also political gags — Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson both get namechecked — and plenty of shamelessly groan-inducing ones.
In a cast perfectly attuned to the quirkiness of McKenna’s approach, Kat B’s jaunty snowman stands out. His presence may be a touch incongruous, but he positively bursts with energy, especially when performing Uptown Funk alongside some very cute penguins.
As it nudges towards the three-hour mark, the show feels a little less sure-footed than some of McKenna’s best Hackney pantomimes — such as her last Jack and the Beanstalk in 2010. It would be good to have more full-length songs, not least to make the most of the vocal power of Debbie Kurup as Jack. But there’s no better Dame than the irrepressible Rowe, and the sheer madness of the subplots makes this an intriguingly original take on a familiar story.
Until January 3, Hackney Empire (020 8985 2424, hackneyempire.co.uk)
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