Get ready to see Jack and the Beanstalk like never before—this isn’t your grandma’s fairy tale. But here’s where it gets controversial: Jack isn’t even the star of the show anymore. In this bold reimagining, the spotlight belongs to Caroline, a highland cow with more personality than the entire cast of a Broadway musical. Yes, you read that right—a cow. And this is the part most people miss: this ‘moooosical’ by Jonathan O’Neill and Isaac Savage should really be called Caroline and the Beanstalk. After all, she’s the one stealing the scene, adopted by Jack’s family and tasked with supplying milk for their struggling ice-cream brand, Glen and Sherry’s.
Suzie McAdam delivers a stellar performance as Caroline, embodying equal parts ginger-haired charm and stoic determination. She’s treated as one of the family—until the business goes under. Enter a few magic beans, and Caroline finds herself at the Happy Smiles Petting Zoo, poking fun at the absurdity of her situation while plotting an escape with a hen, a llama, and a pig. Think Wallace and Gromit meets barnyard comedy, and you’re halfway there. Eventually, she returns home to set things right, including the fickle Jack (Ronan O’Hara) and his troublesome beanstalk.
Stephen Whitson’s production sparkles with pizzazz, thanks to a 10-member cast and the booming voice of Brian Cox as the giant. But here’s the kicker: this shift in focus comes at a cost. The timeless magic of the original fable—the wonder of a magical land, the terror of childhood vulnerability, the David-and-Goliath battle between good and evil—feels muted. Instead, we get a hazily dramatized caper about a single-minded cow, overshadowed by the cynicism of not just Jack’s mum, Sherry (Laura Lovemore), but also Jack himself. It’s a choice that feels… off.
The story loses its way, relying on clunky expository dialogue to hammer home its lessons rather than showing us the heart of the tale. And while the songs—a genre-hopping mix of Broadway, vaudeville, and rap—add a layer of showbiz glitz, they often stall the action. Yet, there’s something undeniably captivating about them, especially McAdam’s powerhouse ballad Udderly Alone, complete with a dramatic key change. With Lisa Darnell’s crisp choreography and Savage’s lush musical direction, the production is lively on the surface, but emotionally, it feels a bit distant.
Now, here’s the question: Does this reimagining honor the spirit of the original, or does it lose its soul in the pursuit of something new? Let’s debate it in the comments. Catch Jack and the Beanstalk at Dundee Rep (https://dundeerep.co.uk/events/jack-and-the-beanstalk) until 30 December and decide for yourself.
