REVIEW ‘THE KING OF SPAIN’S DAUGHTER’ By the Fabulous Old Spot Theatre Company The Space 22 November 2008 We thought the trilogy about Jack and Florence ended with ‘A Gloucester Scaramouche’, but we got an extra helping with a fourth tale about the rustic pair. In ‘The King of Spain’s Daughter’, motherhood has not dimmed Florence’s appetite for adventure, and once her royal authority is established, she is off to lead her troops into battle. Meanwhile Jack and the baby find their way back to the tranquillity of the Forest of Dean, only to discover another royal baby (or is it only a pig?) and plunge into their own regal exploits. And what a perfect happy ending!

Children revelled in the panto-style jokes and swashbuckling swordplay in the fast-moving, at times gory, story, hid from the ogres and chuckled at the furry forest-dwellers, while adults could appreciate the brilliant cut and thrust of the dialogue, the finer points of the historical pastiche, and best of all, the four actors’ faultless timing and slick mimed manoeuvres.

The sensitively sung songs were the icing on the cake for this fourth anniversary celebration by the rightly named Fabulous Old Spot Theatre Company.

Sheila Maddock