Fee, Fie, Fo, Fum!

I cannot recommend this pantomime enough

I cannot recommend this pantomime enough. From the moment we played the first song, the children were hooked. The songs are catchy, perfect for children's voices and were easy to learn. The words were taken home and learnt with great enthusiasm which shows how engaged the children were. The script was funny with the usual panto style jokes, giving the children the chance to develop their characters. Parents and staff loved this show and we had nothing but positive comments from both. It's the best Christmas show we've done. More of the same please! Lynn Morgan (Music coordinator) Gateshead.

Extremely enthusiastic!

The response of pupils was hugely positive. The children enjoyed the variety of songs in the show and the feedback from pupils after the performances was extremely enthusiastic (not to mention staff and audience!). They were particularly taken with how entertaining the show was, the dramatic pace and pantomimic elements. Other particular strengths of the show include its strong central characters, the humour in the dialogue and songs, and the opportunity for 2/3 part singing and harmonies that are not difficult for non-specialists to teach. Mike Falcus - Director, South Tyneside Primary Schools' Music Festival

Catchy and captivating songs

The children warmed to all the songs, which were catchy and captivating, so they learned everything very quickly, were excited to perform the songs and still sing them now. They especially enjoyed some of the counter singing parts. I would definitely choose to perform this show again, seeing how the children responded to the music. Colin Bourdiec - Musical director, Jarrow

Lively and upbeat songs

The children responded very well from their very first session. They loved the energetic songs and were very enthusiastic about them. They couldn’t wait to attend each choir practice. I believe the lively, upbeat songs were a real strength of the musical and I would recommend it to other teachers as they weren’t difficult to teach but sounded very effective when performed. Nicola Walls - Music coordinator, South Shields

Strongly recommend

My pupils loved participating in this musical at their recent music festival. They particularly loved the interactive nature of the music. The songs were fun and catchy and very quickly the children were able to sing along. In particular the songs enabled solo or duet performances from the children. We would strongly recommend Andrew Richardson's music to anyone. Julie Doughty - Music Coordinator, Hebburn

Thoroughly enjoyed!

The children responded really positively and enthusiastically. They thoroughly enjoyed performing it. There were the right amount of songs with a good variety of style/ genre of music to keep the children interested. The lyrics weren’t too complicated and there was good humour involved in both the narration and the lyrics. The overall show had good pace and told the story well. As an aside, while I was familiarising myself with the CD in my car on my way to work every morning, my three year old daughter loved it and would request it and join in with little bits of it! Julie Tuff - teacher, South Shields

Great excitement

The children thoroughly enjoyed learning all of the songs. There was great excitement when it came to deciding who would take the lead parts! The level of challenge was just right for all abilities. We were always humming the tunes, even months after the performance! There is a lovely balance in the style of songs, which keeps the children engaged as they needed to reflect the mood of the song with their singing. Some of the songs also lend themselves to adding actions, which looks very effective when performed by a large ensemble. I would recommend this show to others because of the positive way children, staff and parents took to the storytelling and music. Heather Wear - music coordinator, Cleadon, Tyne & Wear

Loved the songs

The pupils in our school loved the songs, and couldn't stop singing them - even weeks after the performance. The children were extremely enthusiastic (even the boys!) and I used to put the music on as they worked during afternoon lessons or at any opportunity, keeping them focussed as well as helping them learn the songs in time for the festival. They were catchy songs and easy to learn. Parents were also singing them as a result of the children practising at home and my class would just randomly break out in tune when we were on the bus to swimming (a term later). The show was extremely entertaining and the songs were easy to learn. The show told the story of Jack and the Beanstalk perfectly and in a non conventional way. The fact that there were different parts for different groups to sing, made it great for a choir to sing and show off their singing voices and skills. This also helped with the children's listening skills as well as their rhythm, pitch and tone. I would most definitely recommend this production to others as it is easy to learn, catchy, fun and entertaining. Stephanie Mark - Music coordinator, Whiteleas, South Shields

Modern, stage musical feel

At first, I thought this was going to be the typical 'Jack and the Beanstalk' fairy-tale, but how wrong I was! The songs have a modern, stage musical feel and are very 'catchy'. The plot follows the traditional story line, but takes it to another level. There are good opportunities for solos, drama and dancing. Our Year 5/6 children loved it - their parents, and the whole audience too! I would highly recommend this production. Susan Woodhouse - Music coordinator, Hebburn

Loved learning and performing the songs

Our pupils loved learning and performing the songs. Although some of the music was more challenging than our younger children were used to, they found it easy to pick up. The melodies were 'catchy' and fun to sing. The opening and closing numbers were great. 'Daisy, Daisy' was a good 'crowd pleaser' and our school had fun holding up the song words for the audience - the odd muddle added comedy value. The variety in the songs - and the funny lyrics – made them easy to teach and kept the children’s interest. They also enjoyed singing in two parts. It was a fabulous experience. Jenny Parker - Music coordinator, South Shields