Peter Pan

Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Pirates, Indians, a snapping crocodile and children, what more would you need for an “awfully big adventure”? Broxbourne Theatre Company’s production of Peter Pan written by John Morley, stayed very close to the original story and it was wonderful to see all those characters that were meant to fly, do so. From where I was sitting, at the back of the terrace, not a wire could be seen and the gasps from some of the audience sitting close to me confirmed that this was indeed magic. Principal roles were well characterized and dialogue solid, particularly Peter Pan and Hook. Andrew Frost as Captain Hook delivered this stereotypical villain very well indeed, with volume, dash and subtlety when needed. Jeff Hammond as the dame, Laughing Water, work his audience well and showed his skill in bringing every moment of audience participation to its maximum effect and Elyssa Dean made a great Peter Pan. Her light vocal quality and petit stature was just what the youngsters in the audience needed in order to believe the story. Chief pirates Starkey and Smee brought some comedy to the story and between them, along with Hook and Laughing Water made a good comedy team. The Darling children were well cast although I would have liked a little more volume from John and Michael and the lost boys played their roles with conviction. Tinker Bell was a delight and her mime sequences and facial expressions were strong and clear. The chorus as pirates and Indians sang well and moved about the stage in character. Choreography was effective, showing a clear difference between the pirate numbers and the Indian war dance. The three-piece band did not over shadow the vocals and produced the obligatory whizzes and pops when needed, so often neglected by many MD’s. The scenery cloths were effective and of a story book style but I felt that the Darling house was rather sparse and not homely at all. This was a good production with some challenging technical issues for the stage manager, when flying at least four characters. Well done, the audience loved it and what an adventure they had.

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