Peter Pan

 

“He’s behind you!” “Oh no he isn`t.”  “Oh yes he is.” There follow shouts and screams of excitement from the captivated young audience. Pantomimes are usually childrens` first introduction to the world of drama, so of course, they`re going to enjoy all the colourful costumes, the scenery, a large chorus of child actors with whom to identify and, above all, the brave Goodies and the nasty Baddies who finally get their comeuppance. The story-line for these young novices is almost incidental.  Not so perhaps for the adults who accompany them. Thus, John Morley`s Peter Pan may well have been a slight disappointment. Where were the flying Peter and Wendy of J M Barrie`s original story? Not that it mattered. All the important ingredients were there to make the children, who made up well over half of the audience, happy, and surely that is the important thing.

It was good to see the impressive John Plumbly back on stage as a commandingly voiced Captain Hook.  Rachel Dangerfield who has now joined CAODS, made a strong Peter Pan, she sang well but must desist from spending 90% of her time on stage with arms akimbo - most distracting. The trio of Mermaids was delightful and their fish tails seemed to be really part of their bodies. In fact at this point I must commend the six woman wardrobe team who created such an array of colourful and authentic looking costumes, although I was somewhat mystified as to why Peter Pan was dressed like a member of Robin Hood`s Merry Men

The large cast of Lost Boys were well-received, particularly by those of similar age in the audience. Two or three of these boys looked very much at home on stage and we`ll almost certainly be seeing more of them in future productions. In fact, the whole large cast, many of whom were `first timers` were a tribute to CAODS. .

The sets were well thought out, particularly that of the pirate ship with the huge, impressive mast. The cinema-type projections were a novel idea, with aerial views of London. The childrens` bedroom too, which incorporated the kennel of Nana the dog, played by Adam Baker, was a believable compromise between that of a Victorian nursery and a modern day bedroom..

Despite the rather long blackout periods between set changes the show was well received, judging by the applause and whoops of joy at curtain call. Moreover, the newly installed heating system was a definite winner and this extra boost to the comfort of the public will hopefully help ensure deservedly better houses for subsequent shows.

 

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