Jack and the Beanstalk

Dame-par-excellence Clive Rowe and Hackney panto go together like mince pies and brandy butter, so it's great to see him back on board for this year's 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. He'll play Jack's mum Dame Daisy Trot, who packs off her son to sell the family cow, and gets rewarded with a fistful of mysterious beans. Hackney Empire has built up an enviable reputation for serving up one of London's best pantos, mixing glittery backdrops and traditional humour with plenty of nods to the 21st century world beyond the theatre's doors.