Christmas has come to the Oak Theatre with the new state-of-the-art venue enjoying a hugely successful opening weekend for its first dazzling family pantomime.
Coronation Street star Calum Lill plays the evil Fleshcreep in Jack and the Beanstalk which runs at the theatre at Scarisbrick Hall near Southport until Wednesday 24 December 2025.
Tickets for the lavish panto, presented by Anton Bensons Productions Ltd, are priced from £14.
Calum, who played the Street’s bad boy Joel Deering, is joined on the Oak Theatre stage by real-life couple Danny Childs and Suzanne Fulton as Jack Trott and Princess Jill, Mary Shanker as Mary the Fairy and Michael Lawless as King Bling.
Meanwhile due to illness, veteran panto dame David Dale has had to withdraw from the run – he has been replaced by the very talented DG Foster, who stepped into Dame Trott’s shoes with just a few hours’ notice to entertain audiences on opening weekend.
When Jack Trott swaps the family cow for a bag of beans, his mum isn’t best pleased. But when the beans sprout…and keep growing, they lead to the tallest of adventures in the clouds.
Can Jack outwit the wily Fleshcreep and rescue his sweetheart Princess Jill from the clutches of the giant? Or will he fee-fi-fo fumble his chance to be a hero? There’s only one way to find out.
Audiences can expect two-and-a-half hours of toe-tapping song and dance, colourful costumes, fantastic sets – encompassing the venue’s 4k digital wall, and stunning special effects all wrapped up in a hilarious laugh-a-minute script.
Calum Lill is best known for playing Coronation Street villain Joel Deering who met a sticky end at the heart of a dramatic whodunit which kept soap viewers on the edge of their seats. His other screen credits include PC Carlton Smith in Hollyoaks and roles in Doctors and Holby City. His stage credits include The Sociable Plover at London’s Old Red Lion. And he returns to the role of Fleshcreep after playing him last Christmas in Bournemouth.
Meanwhile when he is not causing drama on screen, he loves bringing stories to life on stage and helping other actors through his coaching company Screen Ready.
Danny Childs is Jack Trott. ALRA North-trained Danny is an actor and filmmaker. Previous panto appearances include Wishee Washee in Aladdin, Potty Pierre in Beauty and the Beast and Simple Simon in Jack and the Beanstalk, Buttons in Cinderella and Rafi in Rapunzel. Further stage credits include The Wish, That Sketch Show, Farmboy, The Snow Queen, and Ugly Duckling for Tutti Frutti Productions in the UK and on a US tour. Away from the stage he is co-owner of independent filmmakers Squad Four Productions.
Suzanne Fulton plays Princess Jill and is also the show’s choreographer. Suzanne is a Mancunian actress, choreographer and producer who trained at the Bristol Old Vic and Manchester School of Acting. Her previous panto appearances include the Fairy in Sleeping Beauty alongside Vicki Michelle, and Aladdin. Other stage credits include Silent Cicada at Liverpool Playhouse, The Wish and The Yellow Dress. Suzanne also has her own company, Parallel Productions, championing women’s voices from the north and whose productions have included Parallel Lives at the Oldham Coliseum. She recently starred in her first full-length feature film, Derelict.
Mary the Fairy is played by Mary Shanker. The Manchester-born actor, musician and singer-songwriter trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), and her panto credits include Cinderella last Christmas with Katie Price and Kerry Katona, Beauty and the Beast alongside Les Dennis and Jack and the Beanstalk. Her other stage credits include A Christmas Carol and Simon Says, the latter produced by the All Day Breakfast Theatre Company of which Mary is a founding member.
Michael Lawless appears as King Bling. Actor, singer and writer Michael, who trained at The Expressive Arts and Media Academy in Liverpool, returns to Jack and the Beanstalk after appearing in the tall tale in Dublin last Christmas. Further stage credits include The Insufferable Loneliness of Jeremy and Scuttlers, both at Manchester’s Royal Exchange.
And DG Foster is Dame Trott. Scottish-born, Newcastle-based character actor, writer and creative DG has previously played Dame Dora Crackpot in Beauty and the Beast, Sarah the Cook in Dick Whittington, the Genie in Aladdin and the Joker in the Mirror in Snow White. He also writes pantomimes. His other stage credits include Horatio in Hamlet and Bardolph in Henry V. DG is also the writer and principal narrator for YouTube channel WatchMojoUK.
The Oak Theatre is a stunning new state-of-the-art 390-seat venue situated in the sweeping grounds of the award-winning Scarisbrick Hall School.
It champions bold storytelling and boundary-pushing performances, bringing together visionary creatives and engaged audiences to shape the future of live entertainment.
The theatre has partnered with veteran panto producer Anton Benson Productions to present its first professional pantomime on the stage. ABP produces successful Christmas pantomimes for five other venues across the North West in addition to providing Easter pantos for more than 15 venues across the UK each spring.
The company has worked with many big-name stars including Les Dennis, John Thomson, Kerry Katona, Mark Labbett, Su Pollard and Basil Brush.
Oak Theatre general manager Tom Cain said: “What a fantastic opening weekend we’ve enjoyed at the Oak Theatre – Jack and the Beanstalk is panto’s tallest tale, and Anton Benson Productions and their hugely talented cast, led by Calum Lill, have created a brilliant, imaginative and captivating production for our inaugural seasonal show. We’re also very grateful for DG Foster stepping in at extremely short notice – he’s an experienced panto performer, and has the audience in stitches.
“For many children pantomime is their first taste of live theatre, so seeing the enchanted look on our young audiences’ faces, and hearing their cheers and boos, is the best feeling in the world. I’m really looking forward to sharing this fantastic production with even more festive theatregoers of all ages between now and Christmas.”
Schools’ performances are taking place during the day from 15 – 19 December. Contact enquiries@oaktheatre.co.uk
For more information and tickets visit https://oaktheatreandstudios.co.uk/
Oak Theatre online
Facebook: /oaktheatreandstudios/
Instagram: /oaktheatreuk/
See the new trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuYVTip8Rh8
LISTINGS FOR JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
Date: Saturday 13 December – Wednesday 24 December 2025 (schools only shows daytime 15-19 December)
Time: Various times. See website for full schedule.
Tickets: From £14.
Oak Theatre and Studios
Scarisbrick Hall,
Southport Road,
Scarisbrick,
Ormskirk
L40 9RU
https://oaktheatreandstudios.co.uk
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