Interview with Lucy Hayes

In this interview, I had the great pleasure of doing an interview with director Lucy Hayes, about the upcoming production ‘Jack and His Giant Stalk’. She has shared insights into what audiences can expect from this show, as well as the inspiration and hard work behind bringing this show to life.

Jack and His Giant Stalk continues Brick Lane Music Hall’s tradition of cheeky, contemporary pantomime. What drew you to this year’s story, and how did you decide where to push the satire and where to honour the classic tale?

The panto was actually chosen by the theatre’s artistic director, Zara Kattan, as it had been a few years since Brick Lane Music Hall had last done Jack and the Beanstalk. I was keen as last year’s panto (Pinocchio and His Wooden Whopper) is generally less well-known, and there’s a lot of plot you have to honour, whereas Jack in comparison has much fewer plot points. It felt exciting for my second year to mine the space between those plot points, and try to create elements that felt fun, surprising and new alongside the existing story.

You’ve given the Spirit of the Beans a wonderfully unorthodox “power source.” Where did this character concept come from, and how do you balance absurdity with clarity in the narrative?

I think it came from Jack Pallister, who plays the Spirit of the Beans, who announced early on that he wanted his costume to have bottles on it. I’d found a funny drinking rhyme, which I think was originally supposed to be for a dame, but of course works for the fairy as it’s in rhyming couplets. It just seemed fun and a bit different so we kept rolling with it. 

I think I’m probably less absurd than I’d like - I often think I’m not funny enough for panto. I love things to be clear and make sense. But the whole team at Brick Lane really gets panto and loves rolling with an idea and making it bigger and better, so luckily they can all contribute and I can take credit for it!

Pantomime is often fast, big and bold. What’s your approach to crafting comic pace and timing as both writer and director?

As a writer: be as economic as possible. As a director: know when to cue the band.

How did you decide which modern references and social observations to include this year — and how do you keep the material fresh without making it feel disposable?

This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I generally find it quite cringe when a panto tries to shoehorn in lots of contemporary pop references - that for me, conversely, ages it really quickly. Although, admittedly, our panto is just for grown-ups, so perhaps we’re relieved from this as we don’t have kids we’re trying to win over. I do however, as an audience, always like to see something a little bit unexpected, especially in a story I think I know. This year’s updates came from thinking about how we would do the giant, the castle, and create great drama on a stage which is about 2m x 3m.

You’re working with choreographer Jordan Langford, musical director Scott Hayes, and a creative team deeply embedded in Brick Lane Music Hall. What has collaboration looked like on this production?

This is the second year that I’ve worked on the panto, so we’ve been able to take a lot of learnings from last year and build on them this year, and have a lot of conversations much earlier. I think there’s also been a lot of trust built from last year, which is really nice, so we’ve been able to play with ideas more, and be more ambitious with what we’re trying to pull off.

Several cast members are returning favourites at Brick Lane Music Hall. How does that continuity influence the energy of rehearsals and the style of performance?

I knew who was going to be in the show before I wrote it, which is such a gift. This makes it so much easier for me, as I can think about each performer, many who I’ve known for many years, and think about what their strengths are, and write what I’d be really excited to see them do. I think it creates a great ensemble feel throughout rehearsals and the production. Everyone wants the show to do well and have a nice time, so no one's competing or bringing their ego into the picture, which can occasionally happen in panto and affect the balance of the show.

Brick Lane Music Hall recently received a Special Recognition Award for Pantomime History, Tradition and Heritage. How does that legacy shape your approach as a modern panto creator?

For me I believe that award came about due to the way Brick Lane Music Hall so loudly celebrates the values it holds so dear - it’s a building which is all about bringing people together, making them feel welcome, and giving them a good time. I think that’s such a simple but honourable ethos. And it’s enormously creative - for your main objective to be: how can we make this funnier? How can we bring more people in on the joke? 

What elements feel essential for a “proper” Brick Lane panto, and what new ideas did you want to experiment with this year?

A huge sense of fun, the humour striking a fine line, a kind of wry self-awareness of the rules and farce of panto but a whole-hearted commitment to it none-the-less, a sense of liveness and spontaneity and the ability for it to be a little bit different every time. 

I think for the first time we have a full on ‘twist’ to the show, so I’m hoping that lands well!

You’ve written for theatre, radio, and fringe work. How does writing pantomime differ creatively from your other work, especially something like Bitter Lemons?

The pantomime is the only adaptation work I’ve done, and the only thing I’ve written for a specific venue, with a specific cast in mind. So it feels very bespoke - I know almost exactly what it needs to be when I start writing. That’s completely different to other projects, where usually I know so little about the final result - it’s often just a hunch, or a whisper of an idea. It’s enormously relieving, in a way, to be like - this is exactly what it is and this is what I need to do.

What do you hope people will be talking about when they leave Jack and His Giant Stalk?

How much they laughed, how their cheeks or insides hurt.

Finally, what is the biggest challenge in staging this year’s production?

We have a good old fashioned chase scene, which I’m anticipating will be quite a challenge on our 2 x 3m stage.

Brick Lane Music Hall’s Pantomime ‘Jack and His Giant Stalk’ opens on 22nd January and runs until the 7th March 2026. Tickets include either an afternoon tea or a three-course lunch or dinner, depending on the performance time. 

For tickets and more information, visit: https://www.bricklanemusichall.co.uk/shows/pantomime/ .