IT was a cold and sleety February Saturday afternoon in Selborne and there was a strong magnetic draw to join the enthusiastic crowd in the village hall to sample their unique version of Jack and the Beanstalk.

It warmed us all up a treat. This is a much-anticipated village event, especially with the winter celebrations, the Christmas fair and Christingle behind us and Easter celebrations and summer fête seeming a long way off, the haunting chords of Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles filled the hall as the stage lights went up and a hush came down.

After months of work, the Players presented a host of rising young stars to the sounds of Ed Sheeran’s Castle on the Hill, “driving down those country lanes”. Outside the musical action-packed space of the village hall, there even seemed to be less through traffic for a while.

Selborne had been forever changed in the 1980s to let the cruise missile lorry get through, although protesters once managed to stop the lorry in the southern-most layby to make their objections known. Some majestic ancient beech trees further on had already been cleared to widen the road and traffic began to use it more, but at least the cruise missile has gone and as the stage lights came up we heard Van Morrison sing “from the dark side of the street to the bright side of the road”, perfect, “that’s great”, “no, that’s initiative” said Jack, but it’s too nice a day to work...

The theatre programme contained a warning to the audience that the Players this year “turn a corner in protocol. In order to comply with ethnic and cultural equality regulations we have had to include a cast member from Yorkshire who some southern softies may find hard to understand. So, if you’re rig-welted, you’re upside down, and if you are putting ferrets down your trousers you are mind-blowingly stupid.” There are some other helpful dialect translations included.

As the cock crowed a talented young group danced to “Busy doing nothing, working the whole day through, trying to find lots of things not to do” from Walt Disney’s A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court. When the gloriously loud and colourful Dame Nelly Trott (Nick James) appeared with a mystery box there was a stampede of small legs to the stage, but the tide turned when the lowering growling Grotviler appeared, rumbustuously played by Gareth Davies. All is not lost because the Fairy Haricot Vert has a black belt in karaoke and the body of an 18-year-old, although she is advised to give it back.

Entertainment during the interval, depending on age, size and preferences, was listening to music from the Magic Roundabout, Benny Hill’s chase music Yakety Sax, or Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines while queuing at the bar, chatting in the crowd or crawling along the rows of seats and jumping off the ends, and looking out for the party pooper who looks like Alice Cooper. This small group of players packs a big punch with evocative and skilful scenery, clever costumes and the ever-present wow factor. Congratulations to everyone who helps to make it possible.

Selborne Players cast for Jack and The Beanstalk: Jack, Ellie Roberts; Jill, Katy Henderson; Dame Tilly Trot, Nick James; Simple Simon, Connor Turner; Grotviler, Gareth Davies; Fairy Haricot Vert, Jan Earney; Grabbit, Charlie Henderson; Leggit, Eric Rye Lees; Lady Lotsadosh, Simon Knol; Giant Blundebore, James Sunderland; Little Giant, Sasha Roberts; Buttercup (friendly Friesian), Matt Turner & Andy Roberts); Mayor, Steve Green; Maisie, Marthe Rye Lees; George, Jules Pearce; Jenny, Lucy Bicknell; Harry Potter, Tommy Boyd; Harp, Oliver Sunderland. Villagers/Chorus: Ludovic Berridge, Tommy Boyd, Oliver Sunderland, Niamh Turner, Lola Wills.

Director, Nick James. Music, lighting and Stage Director, David Henderson. Chorus Director, Laura Wills. Choreography, Ellie Roberts, Laura Wills. Wardrobe, Jenny Henderson. Curtains, Gren Earney. Set design was a great team effort but with special thanks to the following people:?Tim Hayes, Fiona Pearce, Julie Rebbeck, Doug Allan, Gren and Jan Earney, Gareth Davies and friends of the Players.

GWYNETH?RUSHTON