Peter Pan

‘Peter Pan The Panto by James Barry is based on the book and play by J M Barrie. The prologue was a silhouette scene and we found out how Hook lost his arm. The opening number, ‘Beautiful Day’, with an interesting back story outlined in the programme, in the Neverland Reservation was performed with gusto, we knew we were in for an evening of energy and fun. We were thrown into Neverland and the pace didn’t let up.

The sets were excellent. These were colourful and varied. Scene changes saw the action move from the reservation, the Darling’s home, to the deck of the Jolly Roger and so on giving maximum impact and minimum disruption. The props were excellent and well used by the cast. There were many that warrant special mention: the Mermaids’ rock, the crocodile, swords, totem pole and working water pistols!

All the costumes were of the highest quality; there was great attention to detail in ensuring each character was appropriately dressed. Tiger Lily’s squaw outfit (complete with large posterior) caused a few laughs. The mermaids shimmered, Peter Pan wore traditional garb and the lost boys, sailors and supporting natives were all well dressed. Tinkerbell and supporting fairies had updated fairy costumes, complete with clumpy boots and leather jackets. A lot of thought had gone into the use of costume and hair to emphasise the personality of the characters. The overall colourful spectacle was in keeping with the liveliness of the panto.

The lighting very cleverly designed, colourful and well controlled. I particularly enjoyed the lights denoting the whereabouts of Tinkerbell, until she finally arrived in physical form. The special effects were outstanding; Peter Pan and Wendy being suspended and the projection giving the effect of flying over the rooftops of London, seen through a gauze screen, was astonishing, surprising and brought forth gasps from the audience. Hook flew towards the end of the show.

The voices were strong and in keeping with one another and music from the live band. There were great sound effects when the crocodile ate the crew!

This production was an absolutely joyous festive delight. It had it all: a friendly and charismatic dame (Paul Robinson as Tiger Lily), lively songs, swashbuckling, a heart warming story and fairy dust. Jenna Clark was perfect as Peter Pan with her youthful looks and enthusiasm. Kate Galvin was cheeky and charming as the rather bolshy Tinkerbell and Dave McLaren suitably wicked as Hook. He clearly revelled in this role. The entire cast had great comic timing and there was a nice balance of upbeat songs and ballads. The Production Crew are to be congratulated for their obvious expertise and hard work that allowed the performers to shine. This was a polished production and an excellent example of an established group working as a well oiled machine. It was so good I wish I could have seen it twice!

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