Peter Pan

Take one typical English village, add a small village hall, mix with two people who like to write pantomime, add a group of enthusiastic performers of all ages, a team who devote themselves to creating a theatre set, props and costumes and you have the perfect recipe for FUN!!

CATS Peter Pan was completely home grown and typifies Am Dram in its purest form.

The front of house team was very welcoming and the small hall quickly filled.  The open set was well designed by Laura Knott and the cleverly constructed scenery was effective and it was clear that the construction team, led by Andrew Moore, had worked very hard to bring the set together.

Written by Jeff Knott and Phil Ward, Peter Pan followed the traditional story with all the elements, vital to the plot, included.  We were warned from the off that there would be no flying…thank goodness…no one wants to see Peter flying in upside-down, legs akimbo; far better to know your limitations and work to your strengths.

It was nice to have an orchestra of accomplished musicians, namely Gerald Ward, Steve Kaye and Brenda Stewart playing guitar, violin and keyboard and the musicians also interacted and performed in the panto, which was a bonus.

Singing voices were generally very good and delivered with confidence.  Some of the numbers might have been a little dated but it didn’t detract from the performances.

Lighting, courtesy of Jim Daniel and Paul Murphy, was fine and, in such a small venue, it did everything required. 

The cast spanned the ages, the oldest being Captain Hook, played by Nick Grantham.  Nick’s Hook was a gentlemanly rogue and very likeable, even whilst being booed.  We all love to hate our villains and it is easy to take it too far but Nick got it right and didn’t frighten the small people in the audience too much.

The Darlings were a very nice family, given the terrible time they were having.  Richard Reynolds and Rachel McCreath were warm and loving parents and their children, Helen, Eva and Michael, played by Helen Murphy, Eve Daniel and Phil Ward, were a credit to them.  The Clerk, Belinda Moore, was very accomplished and looked the part and every one of the cast spoke and sung clearly. Nicely played..

Steve Kaye got it right as Mr Right and is clearly a man of many talents.  The Bank Manager and Secretary, Jayne Kaye and Liz Murphy gave lots of energy to their performances, which gave the whole show a real lift.  Smee and Jolly Roger were very competently portrayed by Sarah Postins and Brenda Stewart, which is to their credit as these are traditionally male characters…well done!

Julie Daniel as Peter Pan was every bit the principal boy character.  Julie had all the right moves and was boyish and mischievous; coupled with Tinkerbell as portrayed by Vivien Reffin, we could relax in the knowledge that these two characters were in safe hands. 

There was a selection of talented youngsters in Peter Pan with Fraser Ellson, Joe Daniel and Peter Millington as Lost Boys and Sally McCreath and Layla Keating as beautiful Mermaids.  It is great to see young people joining in and sometimes showing the adults how it’s done.  Well done!

And we mustn’t forget the very necessary ticking Crocodile, Mr Gator, who was very lovable and stole the show…well done Laura Knott, it must have been hot in there!

The writers offered a magical journey and to a large extend this happened.  I would suggest that the budget might be stretched a little to allow more magic by way of lighting and sound effects, which would really enhanced future pantomimes.

Catworth Amateur Theatrical Society provides shows for their community and I admire their dedication.  The writers of Peter Pan certainly have a sense of humour and don’t seem to take themselves too seriously, although the level of commitment from members would belie that.  Their simple programme was wittingly put together and the audience were very appreciative and particularly enjoyed the in-jokes, which went down very well.

Keep up the good work Catworth and aim for bigger and better productions in the future.  You have a loyal membership and I think you are ready to face more theatrical challenges in the future.

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