A fresh take on a classic tale has taken centre stage, with Caroline and the Beanstalk reimagining Jack and the Beanstalk for the modern age. But don't be fooled by the title - this isn't your grandmother's fairy story. Instead, it's a high-stakes caper starring a plucky cow named Caroline, played to perfection by Suzie McAdam.
When Caroline joins Jack's family, she quickly becomes an integral part of their lives, providing them with a steady supply of milk for their artisanal ice cream brand, Glen and Sherry's. But as the business fails, Caroline finds herself in a petting zoo, forced to hatch an escape plan with some unlikely accomplices - a hen, llama, and pig.
In Stephen Whitson's production, the show comes alive thanks to a talented 10-strong cast and the booming voice of Brian Cox as the giant. However, this shift in emphasis has come at the expense of the original story's magic. Gone are the sense of wonder and terror that once defined Jack and the Beanstalk. Instead, we're left with a meandering caper about a single-minded cow, marred by cynicism and poor decision-making from the human characters.
The show's attempt to teach lessons through exposition feels heavy-handed, and many of the songs - an Americana-influenced collection that ranges from Broadway to vaudeville to rap - only serve to delay the action. Even so, those numbers are undeniably lively, with crisp choreography by Lisa Darnell and gorgeous harmonies under Isaac Savage's musical direction.
Despite its flaws, Caroline and the Beanstalk has built a showbiz illusion of something greater being at stake. McAdam shines in her power ballad Udderly Alone, complete with key change and all. The production will continue to run at Dundee Rep until December 30th, but it's unclear if this fresh take on a classic tale is enough to justify its existence.
When Caroline joins Jack's family, she quickly becomes an integral part of their lives, providing them with a steady supply of milk for their artisanal ice cream brand, Glen and Sherry's. But as the business fails, Caroline finds herself in a petting zoo, forced to hatch an escape plan with some unlikely accomplices - a hen, llama, and pig.
In Stephen Whitson's production, the show comes alive thanks to a talented 10-strong cast and the booming voice of Brian Cox as the giant. However, this shift in emphasis has come at the expense of the original story's magic. Gone are the sense of wonder and terror that once defined Jack and the Beanstalk. Instead, we're left with a meandering caper about a single-minded cow, marred by cynicism and poor decision-making from the human characters.
The show's attempt to teach lessons through exposition feels heavy-handed, and many of the songs - an Americana-influenced collection that ranges from Broadway to vaudeville to rap - only serve to delay the action. Even so, those numbers are undeniably lively, with crisp choreography by Lisa Darnell and gorgeous harmonies under Isaac Savage's musical direction.
Despite its flaws, Caroline and the Beanstalk has built a showbiz illusion of something greater being at stake. McAdam shines in her power ballad Udderly Alone, complete with key change and all. The production will continue to run at Dundee Rep until December 30th, but it's unclear if this fresh take on a classic tale is enough to justify its existence.
. I mean, I love the talent involved - Suzie McAdam's performance as Caroline is really impressive 
- but it feels like they've lost sight of what made the original so magical. The sense of wonder and fear that comes with a classic tale just doesn't feel the same here 
.
. But at the same time, those numbers are catchy! The choreography is top-notch, and I love how they incorporated different styles to make it unique 
. Maybe the production just needs a bit of fine-tuning to get it right?
. Overall, it's a solid production, but I'm not sure if it's enough to make me want to see it again anytime soon... maybe just for that power ballad 
. I mean, the cast is super talented and Brian Cox as the giant is always a bonus 
. But the story just doesn't feel like "Jack and the Beanstalk" anymore. It's like they took all the magic and wonder out of it and replaced it with...well, not much 
. The cow is cool and all, but I'm still rooting for Jack and the original tale 
. I mean, who thought putting a cow in the lead role was a good idea? It's just a bunch of nonsense trying to pass off as art. The original story had magic, it had wonder, and it had terror - what did we get instead? A meandering mess about a cow with delusions of grandeur 
. And don't even get me started on the "lessons" they tried to cram in there like they were spoon-feeding us or something 
. Give me the original any day of the week 
- she brings so much sass and personality to the role! The addition of a cow as the main character is genius 
. I love how they've incorporated elements of social commentary, like the artisanal ice cream brand and the petting zoo plot twist 
.
. Some of the songs do feel like they're dragging out the action, but hey, who doesn't love a good musical number, right? 
. Overall, I'm loving this fresh take on a classic tale! Let's see if it can run for longer than just 6 weeks 
!
. Don't get me wrong, Suzie McAdam is talented and all, but I just can't help feeling like this whole thing is missing something... maybe that's just me, though 
?
... but hey, i guess suzie mcadam is alright in her big number 
the cast tries its best, but even suzie mcadam can't save this mess from itself. the music is probably the most enjoyable part of the whole production, but that's like saying the sprinkles on your ice cream are the best part - they're just trying to distract you from the fact that it's all just a bit rubbish 
The cow, Caroline, just sorta exists in the story and then suddenly she's leading this whole escape plan thingy 
without much build up or motivation from her side of the coin. And don't even get me started on how they handled the giant 
.
! But even with all that talent, it felt like they were trying to cram too many messages into this show. It wasn't just about Caroline escaping the petting zoo, but also about teaching us lessons on teamwork and perseverance 
.
and I'm not sure what to think 
... Still, I'll be checking it out when it comes to Dundee Rep on Dec 30th 
... [
and dont even get me started on those annoying songs 
anyway i was thinking about trying out that new ice cream place downtown, have you tried Glen and Sherry's yet? they got this flavor called 'honeycomb heaven' that sounds pretty interesting... also did you know that pigs are actually pretty smart? like way more intelligent than people give them credit for 
. Now it's all about this cow who's just kinda... meh 
The original story was all about the thrill of the beanstalk and the giant's lair - now it's just a bunch of misfit animals trying to escape. And what's up with the song numbers? They sound like they belong in a bad musical comedy 
. Still, I'm not sure if this "fresh take" is just rehashing old ideas without adding anything new 
the music sounds like a bunch of random genres thrown together 
. I mean, I get what they're trying to say, but it doesn't feel natural or organic to the story at all.
. Maybe I'm just not buying it 
, but she's got some serious issues, you know? She's all about that artisanal ice cream life, but when things go south, she just becomes a meek little cow 
... the showbiz illusion thingy doesn't quite land for me