Bobbie Fenton sat down with writer Lucy Hayes and her father performer Vincent Hayes to discuss Jack and his Giant Stalk currently playing at Brick Hall Music Hall until 7 March 2026 – get tickets here
1. What do you think makes an adult panto work so well for British audiences?
VINCENT – Firstly, it’s worth saying, we don’t do adult panto – we do a pantomime for grown-ups. There is a difference. I think panto evokes memories of childhood and other experiences of being together through the panto traditions.
2. How do you balance the line between naughty and nice – keeping it cheeky and adult without crossing the line?
VINCENT – Once you swear you’re doomed – there’s no way back.
3. Were there any jokes or scenes that made you think, “Can we really get away with that?”
VINCENT – Every time.
4. Has there ever been a time you’ve pushed the boundary just a little too far?
VINCENT – Everything has its period and there are things that I’ve portrayed in the past that I wouldn’t do now. You have to go with the flow.
5. Do you test the jokes on anyone before opening night, or do you trust the Brick Lane audience to tell you what lands?
VINCENT – I listen to the audience. They’re my barometer.
6. Have there ever been any memorable audience reactions that stand out?
VINCENT – There’s always the next show – I don’t hold those things to heart really.
7. If you had to describe the show’s sense of humour in three words, what would they be?
VINCENT – Camp-r-us.
8. What is your favourite double entendre from Jack and His Giant Stalk?
LUCY – That would require him to have actually read the script.
9. When writing an adult panto, what is the creative process like? Do you start with the innuendos and work backwards, or do they sneak in naturally?
LUCY – This is only my second panto – and I’m so aware there are people (including my dad) who are absolute experts at the genre, and have honed their craft over many years. The type of humour in pantomime is also very specific: it’s much bigger than my own personal sense of humour so in some ways I feel like I’m starting on the backfoot. I always start with the story and the characters, try to make the story as economic and pacy as possible, and create fun, quirky characters that can have different kinds of comedy. I collect jokes and ideas on a note on my phone across the whole year, and fit them in where I can – and then I leave 80% of the innuendos up to the cast in rehearsals.
10. Is there a moment in Jack and His Giant Stalk that you’re particularly proud of from a directing standpoint – something that turned out exactly as you imagined?
LUCY – I would say however that the scenes I’m always most proud of in panto are those that are underscored or involve the band in a build up to a number – the band is so important in panto in creating its internal rhythm and I feel it really comes together when the music is integrated.
11. Have you ever had an ad-lib go so well it ended up becoming a permanent part of the show?
VINCENT – Everything has a time and place – you can’t say because you got a laugh with something yesterday that you’ll get one today.
12. What is your favourite moment or line in the show to perform, and why?
VINCENT – The end.
13. Do you have a go-to pre-show ritual?
VINCENT – I don’t really – I think the audience does it for me.
LUCY – He’s more likely to be check the heating or the plumbing before the show than he is spending time getting ready!
14. What do you admire most about each other’s work on Jack and His Giant Stalk?
VINCENT – Lucy’s attention to detail. Her commitment. Her discipline.
LUCY – My dad’s spontaneity. His ability to find something – a line or a look, that perfectly suits a moment. His humour. His desire to want people to feel held at the same time as they’re entertained. How he creates communities out of his audiences, and brings people together in a way that feels so natural.
15. If Jack and His Giant Stalk had a signature cocktail, what would it be?
LUCY – Gin and Dubonet. Sweet, nostalgic with a twist of lemon.
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/ .