Peter Pan

FADLOS always fill the stage with all ages and energy plus: a good happy feel as the curtain rises, opportunities for all in the company and great attack at numbers; colourful on the eye and liked the imaginative different lighting. The team of Ben Francis, Lucy Ferris, Jo Kemp, and Tilly Baron exploited and encouraged all the talent for great results.

A very acceptable title role from Thomas Bailey, he looked right with good personality and clear diction, full of energy and led the action. Ellie Buckingham an excellent Wendy with personality and a great voice (good given those numbers to sing), and she led the Darling boys (Isabel Clements and Kieran Barrett) on their adventures to Neverland.

And there we encountered a moody Tinkerbell (Olivia Cunningham) and a feisty Tiger Lily (Grace Dodd), both very clear diction and projection of voices and characters, plus add those amazing numbers of Lost Boys and Indians who filled the stage with their movements and energy and obvious enjoyment at performance; FADLOS Kidz come into their own with the pantomime and offer the future for the stage. Plus the adult chorus as the Pirate team of song and dance to lead the big numbers with great voice and lots of energy, well drilled in movements.

On the adult front, cameo roles for the Darlings (Avril Temple and Callum Brown). A truly wicked and OTT voice and stance for an outstanding performance from Becky Jefcoate as Captain Hook, definitely not someone to meet on a dark night with her plots of mischief and havoc and hope her voice survives the week!  And to the comedy stakes with Sam Sadler the well-timed foil and hapless husband Smee adding much to the action and fun. But the star, as expected, with stature, personality, glamour and a costume change and head-dress spectacular each entrance, Ben Francis just stole the show as Mrs Smee, this is what one hopes from a perfect Dame.

And with Crocodile (Lucy Ferris), Dame and Smee leading all the interaction and noise from the audience, the roof of the hall nearly coming off during our singing, this was a true family pantomime for the district and how fortunate to have FADLOS present each year.

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