Peter Pan The Musical

There have been many versions of J.M Barrie’s timeless story of the boy who refused to grow up and the unforgettable inhabitants of Neverland including Captain Hook and his ruthless band of pirates. Now, directors Sheena Liversidge, Gail Hinkins, HJ Hobdell, and the Horncastle Young Stagers, take us on a magical adventure in their version of Out of The Ark's Peter Pan the Musical.  

Our story opens with a nursery in disarray as the Darling children, John and Michael run riot, much to the annoyance of the prim and proper Mr Darling.  He complains about the children saying he has no ‘time for make believe’ and scolds Nana for moulting all over his smart tuxedo.   

Two narrators (Corinna M and Julia W) then take turns to describe the unfolding tale, and they delivered their lines with good diction and confident storytelling.  

Watching the proceedings are Peter Pan, played by Chloe M and her loyal but sassy sidekick, 

Tinkerbell, played by Elena M.  Peter is looking for his missing shadow and accidentally wakes Wendy. Tinkerbell finds the shadow and Wendy stitches it onto his feet.  Peter and his shadow (Friday’s performer Amber J) then perform a delightful shadow dance together.   

Peter has been watching the Darling family and asks Wendy to accompany him to Neverland to become a mother to the Lost Boys much to Tinkerbell’s obvious disgust.  Peter sprinkles the Darling children with magic fairy dust and they fly to Neverland.  To create this effect, members of the cast moved across the stage carrying cardboard clouds and cut-outs of various landmarks, accompanied by a projection of stars.  

In Neverland, we meet the pesky pirates led by Captain Hook played by Max F.  Max dressed in scarlet velvet, buckled shoes, curly black wig and feathered hat, was every inch the perfect comedy villain shouting at the bemused pirates as he ordered them to dispose of Tiger Lily (Elsie Mc) the warrior chief’s feisty daughter.  His clever puns 'plank to plankton' and evil laugh were well delivered  

There then followed a delightful cameo from Everly K as the crafty crocodile stalking Captain Hook with a knife and fork as the cast sang ‘Tick Tock’ referring to the alarm clock gobbled by the crocodile along with Hook’s hand.  

We then meet the Lost Boys (Rory B, Hugo B, Daisy G, Camilla F and James B) who are fierce supporters of Peter Pan. I loved their furry waistcoats and hats and the sense of boyish comradery as they sparred and fought with each other.  

Fuelled with jealousy, Tinkerbell tricks Nibs (Hugo B) into shooting down the ‘Wendy Bird’ resulting in a furious Peter banishing her for life, softened to a week when a disheartened Tinkerbell bitterly complained.  I loved sassy Tinkerbell’s body language with folded arms and arrogant stance as she fumed over Peter’s apparent affection for Wendy. Her costume comprised of shades of soft green material giving a woodland sprite vibe rather than a traditional sparkly fairy and her wings were edged with green sparkles.  

The pirate posse, played by Esme R as Mr Smee, Evie C as Starkey, Lyra S as Cecco and Oscar H as Bill Jukes were very funny. I loved their fast-paced song ‘Pirates of the Sea’ with the hapless Smee trying desperately to keep up with choreography.   

Peter takes Wendy to meet the island’s mermaids, but they are not what she expects.  Instead, we see a tableau of the shallowest, vainest ladies (Emilie S, Ida F, Amber J, Mabel M, Ehlana F and Everly K), dressed in shimmering sparkly dresses and coloured wigs. They sang ‘Look at Me’ bragging about how beautiful they were while tossing their hair and scowling scathingly at Wendy. I was impressed with the use of blue satin material used to create the mermaid lagoon; it was also used effectively for the smaller pirate ship which was wheeled across the stage.  

Peter tricks the pirates into releasing Tiger Lily and earns her father’s loyalty, while Hook plots his revenge.  I loved the way Peter encouraged the audience to join in panto style to heckle Hook.  

Wendy showed she was not to be trifled with as she showed the Lost Boys what a mother was really like and that is someone who sets firm boundaries by insisting they leave the warrior celebrations to get a good night’s sleep and a bedtime story.   

Tinkerbell, still fuming about Peter, accidentally lets slip the secret hideout at Hangman’s Tree, giving the pirates a chance to capture Peter Pan.   Would Captain Hook get his revenge, and would the Darling children ever return to their own home and family? 

Phoenyx P was perfect as the grumpy Edwardian father with his slicked back hair and permanent scowl accompanied by his elegant wife (Emile S) in beaded evening gown. His sweet song (accompanied by Emilie) lamenting the children’s abduction delivered wearing a quilted housecoat ‘How did we end up here Nana?’ was beautifully sung and very poignant giving an insight into what the parents and Nana were experiencing back home. 

The Darling children wore their traditional clothing with John (Bertie B) in his trademark top hat, Michael (Sophie H) in onesie cuddling a teddy and Wendy played by a very confident Anna McC wearing the trademark blue dress and matching bow.  She delivered a confident performance as her character grew and developed and her solos were well executed. Anna took on the role of mini-mother well - firm but with a gentle heart. I liked her song with the Lost Boys about creating her ‘Wendy’ house. 

Chloe as Peter Pan was very good, performing some beautiful solos especially the haunting 'Do you believe in fairies?' Making her heart felt plea to the audience to save Tinkerbell who had sacrificed herself to save him.  Chloe was always in character and her relationships with Tinkerbell and Wendy showed how Peter had to adapt from stubbornness over his refusal to grow up, choosing his fairy friend and finally agreeing to take them all to London when he realised that the Lost Boys needed a real mother.  

Elena as Tinkerbell was sassy, seething with jealousy like a stroppy teen, I loved her body language and eye rolls as Wendy became more important to her beloved Peter.  

Esme R was wonderful as the bumbling Smee who was oblivious to his own incompetence.  She showed a comic timing and confidence well beyond her years and the witty song 'You’ve done it again Mr Smee' was brilliantly performed with lots of self-deprecating humour and was a definite highlight of the show.   

Special mention to Hannah H, playing Nana the Dog, who created a wonderfully believable character. Relying purely on physical movement and non-verbal sounds to communicate (apart from the surprise ending!) and she reacted with the other characters well. Hannah also doubled as the cook shaking her rolling pin, furious at Smee’s incompetence.  

Congratulations to the rest of the ensemble, (Ehlana F, Camilla F, Ida F, Mabel Mc, Elsie S, James S, Martha W) who performed as warriors and mermaids bringing the story-telling to life.  

Well done, to all for this magical big adventure.  The cast were confident and fully immersed in the storytelling. It was obvious that they were loving being on stage and their enthusiasm shone in their faces.  

Well done also to the hard working back-stage crew, some from the Upstagers, ensuring slick scene changes. The use of incidental music helped move each scene along and the projections ensured each scene was clearly signposted, for example the nursery and the pirate ship.   

Thank you for the lovely warm welcome Sheena and the opportunity to meet the cast after the show.  It was a privilege to meet so many talented young people.  

I am happy to confirm that the programme meets the criteria for the programme and poster competition and will be entered next year.   

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.