Hold onto your hats, because this isn’t your grandma’s Jack and the Beanstalk. This reimagined tale flips the script entirely, swapping fairy tale magic for a 'moooosical' caper that puts a highland cow named Caroline front and center. Yes, you read that right—Caroline, not Jack, steals the show in this bold adaptation by Jonathan O’Neill and Isaac Savage. While Jack (Ronan O’Hara) is relegated to sidekick status, Caroline, brought to life with charm and stoicism by Suzie McAdam, becomes the heart of the story as the adopted cow whose milk fuels the family’s ice-cream business, Glen and Sherry’s. But here’s where it gets controversial: is this still *Jack and the Beanstalk, or should it be renamed Caroline and the Beanstalk?*
The plot takes a sharp turn when the business fails, and Caroline finds herself at the Happy Smiles Petting Zoo, plotting an escape with a hen, a llama, and a pig in a series of antics that feel like a whimsical nod to Wallace and Gromit. Eventually, she returns home to confront Jack 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 the shift in focus raises questions. Gone are the fable’s timeless themes—the awe of a magical land, the fear of a child in an adult world, and the David-and-Goliath battle between good and evil. Instead, we get a hazily dramatized tale of a single-minded cow, overshadowed by the cynicism of Jack’s mum, Sherry (Laura Lovemore), and, oddly, Jack himself.
The story loses its way, relying on expository dialogue to hammer home its lessons rather than showing us the emotional core. And while the songs—a genre-hopping mix of Broadway, vaudeville, and rap—add a showbiz sheen, they often slow the action. Yet, there’s something undeniably captivating about McAdam’s powerhouse performance in the ballad Udderly Alone, complete with a dramatic key change. Lisa Darnell’s choreography and Savage’s musical direction deliver gorgeous harmonies, but the show feels lively on the surface while remaining emotionally distant.
Is this a daring reinvention or a missed opportunity? The production’s bold choices will spark debate, but one thing’s clear: this Jack and the Beanstalk is anything but traditional. Catch it at Dundee Rep until December 30 and decide for yourself—is Caroline the hero this story needed, or does the absence of its classic elements leave you longing for the original? Let us know in the comments—we’re all ears (or should we say, horns?).
