Review: Jock and the Beanstalk, Glasgow Pavilion panto. Wildly entertaining!

Lisa in the theatre
Dec 1, 2025
5 min read

Updated: Dec 2, 2025

Putting a Scottish spin on the classic giant fairytale, the Pavilion theatre's 2025 pantomime Jock and the Beanstalk has bounced onto the Glasgow stage full of colour and sass. Playing now until 11th January 2026; read my review of the Pav's latest panto offering below.

Jock and the Beanstalk ★★★★☆

Review: 28 November 2025 | Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow

Produced by Imagine Theatre for the Pavilion Theatre Glasgow, Jock and the Beanstalk offers a bright and boisterous family-friendly traditional Glasgow pantomime this Christmas. Full of silly comedy, upbeat song and dance routines, and a bucketload of panto shenanigans that little ones will delight in, this pantomime takes the classic 'Jack and the Beanstalk' fairytale but adds a festive dusting of theatrical magic, mischief and mayhem.

Dame Trot (Craig Glover) and her son Jock Trott (Scott Fletcher) are so poor that they may have to sell their beloved cow Buttercup (an adorable full-size puppet suit manned by two of the dancers!) Their village of Cowcuddles on the Clyde is being terrorized by a greedy giant who lives in a castle in the clouds (I don't want to spoil the surprise, but the giant is also excellent!) The giant sends his assistant Fleshcreep (Jack Jester) down to the village to carry out some villainous deeds (boo) and while there, Fleshcreep tricks Jock into selling him the cow in exchange for a bag of beans.

But what happens when the beans are discarded? Is that... a beanstalk growing from them?!

Co-directed by Rob Marsden and Pavilion favourite Liam Dolan, who also plays Lazy Larry, the Pav's panto also stars Jennifer Neil as the Disney Princess-esque local girl Jill Clanky, who Jock is hopelessly in love with; the ever-popular, wildly entertaining, daft double act of Grado as Jill's dad King Clanky and Stephen Purdon as Mayor Manky; and the whole adventure is narrated by the calming Fairy Flora (Valissa Scott.)

Craig Glover and Jennifer Neil in Jock and the Beanstalk, The Pavilion Theatre Glasgow panto pantomime 2025. Photo credit: Martin Shields — Craig Glover and Jennifer Neil in Jock and the Beanstalk. Photo: Martin Shields

There are some fantastic comic set pieces in this panto with an absurd, slightly rude routine about cooking an ill-behaved sausage going down particularly well with my 12-year-old nephew and (not 12-year-old) husband. Boys will be boys! Another cheeky sketch featuring Fran & Anna and The Nutcrackers in an expertly choreographed, pot-banging routine was one of the highlights of the show, and had the entire theatre in uproar.

On the contrary, some of the material has been repeated in pantos across the land for years. The shopping trolley routine for example, and the "He's behind you" sketch that ran too long. However, I'm old and I've seen a lot of pantos; children are unlikely to notice or care about a few recycled jokes and sketches.

Where the Pav panto excels, and what the locals return for year after year, is the magnificent cast of local TV and theatre favourites.

The good vibes from this company radiate off the stage. They effortlessly joke and tease each other with a comfortableness that only comes from working together for so long.

Scott Fletcher and Jennifer Neil shine as strong performers who play the straight roles, and who make for an engaging central starry-eyed couple to root for. Jennifer's voice during the notoriously difficult 'Golden' from K-Pop Demon Hunters is remarkable. Valissa Scott has more to do this year as Fairy Flora; full of clever rhymes and whimsical sparkle, she's likewise excellent.

Grado and Stephen Purdon always delight with their cheerful antics and ludicrous catchphrases, and this year is no different. Full of energy and bursting with cheekiness, they barely need to say anything to have the audience screaming with laughter.

Grado's fellow wrestler, the brilliantly charismatic Jack Jester (Lee Greig) plays baddie Fleshcreep with a well-judged, gentle menace so as to tease rather than terrify the children. He does an admirable job of tackling a fully choreographed number to Lady Gaga's Abracadabra this year too. A brilliant, well-rounded baddie.

Stephen Purdon and Grado in Jock and the Beanstalk, The Pavilion Theatre Glasgow panto pantomime 2025. Photo credit: Martin Shields — Stephen Purdon and Grado in Jock and the Beanstalk. Photo: Martin Shields

Mesmerising Panto Dame Craig Glover is up there with the best of them. It looks like the majority of the costume budget has gone on his never-ending array of outfits this year, each more wild and sparkly than the last. Superb!

While co-director and writer Liam Dolan bounces off Glover expertly, he's generous at sharing the spotlight and best jokes with his fellow cast members. Dolan shines when he brings small children from the audience on stage and has to wrangle with their unpredictability.

Supported by an enthusiastic and energetic company of adult and junior dancers who throw themselves into Stephanie Fulton's vibrant (and tricky!) choreography - the Pavilion stage this panto season is always bursting with colour and cheer.

A lively, full-throttle panto that barely pauses for breath

As with the previous year, the scenery for Jock and the Beanstalk comes primarily from bright, eye-catching screens in lieu of any solid, bulky sets. The cartoon like, colourful video designs are lovely, but did suffer from a technical issue in act one with a distracting and unfortunately very noticeable screen glitch. However this was resolved by act two, and again, none of the kids seemed to care.

With plenty of fun, upbeat pop songs and well-aimed pop culture references Jock and the Beanstalk is a lively, full-throttle panto that barely pauses for breath. On the night I was in, the auditorium was full of engaged children who were having the time of their lives. And that's what panto is all about. The creative team behind the Pavilion know exactly what they're doing when it comes to Christmas panto. Jock and the Beanstalk is sure to be a giant hit for them. ★★★★☆

Jock and the Beanstalk plays at the Pavilion Theatre Glasgow until Sunday 11 January. Find out more about tickets deals and the Wagamama food offer here

MORE: the best pantos to see in Glasgow this Christmas https://www.lisainthetheatre.com/post/glasgow-christmas-panto-2025

MORE: Find more Scottish panto news and reviews at: https://www.lisainthetheatre.com/panto

Liam Dolan and Craig Glover in Jock and the Beanstalk, The Pavilion Theatre Glasgow panto pantomime 2025. Photo credit: Martin Shields — Liam Dolan and Craig Glover in Jock and the Beanstalk. Photo: Martin Shields

Jock and the Beanstalk cast: Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow

Read more about the Pavilion Theatre panto gang here in the 2025 panto cast announcement: https://www.lisainthetheatre.com/post/pavilion-panto-2025-cast