The All New Adventures of Peter Pan At The Grove Theatre Dunstable Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by DW
I was so lucky to be invited to attend the Grove Theatre Dunstable’s pantomime. The Grove Theatre is very easy to find, as it is in the centre of Dunstable with a car park very close to the theatre and other car parks nearby. The theatre foyer has a bar that sells drinks and snacks, but there is not much seating to be able to enjoy a relaxing drink before the show. There were, of course, the usual light-up toys on sale as well as souvenir programmes and booster seats.
‘The All New Adventures of Peter Pan.’ What was this about? People around the world are familiar with J.M. Barrie’s tale of Peter Pan, the boy who could fly and never grew up, which dates back as far as 1904. The story of Peter Pan has been translated into many different languages. I know there is even a statue of Peter Pan by the Serpentine in Kensington Gardens, London, but I didn’t know what to expect from The All New Adventures of Peter Pan.
Tonight, my daughter, granddaughter, and I found out what these new adventures were. We met Miss Doodle, played by Natasha Hoeberigs, who acted as mother to all the lost boys and girls who lived at ‘The Happy Place Orphanage’; they had been brought back to London from Neverland to lead a better life. This year there were some fantastic singers in the Dunstable Panto, and Natasha was one of them; she had a fabulous voice.
We also met Charlie, played by Rhys Stephenson, who was a chimney sweep, and his young trainee chimney sweeps.
Mrs. Sweet, played by Will Kenning, was also the director and has played the part of the Dame in the Grove Theatre pantomime for many years. He read the Lost Boys and Girls a bedtime story about Peter Pan just before they settled down for the night.
Poppy Sunshine, played by Imogen Craig, was one of the lost girls who lived at ‘The Happy Place Orphanage’; she asked Miss Doodle several questions about Peter Pan before she fell asleep.
Poppy was woken in the middle of the night to see a fairy called Tink, played by Aoife Haakenson, flying around her bedroom. Tink told Poppy that she had been sent by Peter Pan to find her so she could join him in Foreverland and help him save the Essence of Pantomime from being stolen by the evil Captain Hook, played by Rita Simons. The evil pirate who had lost her hand to a crocodile & wanted to put an end to people enjoying pantomimes forever! Poppy, together with the Lost Boys and Girls who lived in London, agreed to join Tink on a flight to Foreverland.
I loved the scene of their flight to Foreverland, where Tink and Poppy sang Defying Gravity, two more great voices. They met Peter Pan, played by Alexander Kranz, and promised to help him and the Lost Boys and Girls save the Essence of Pantomime from Captain Hook.
It wasn’t long before we were aboard the Jolly Dodger meeting Captain Hook, who was terrified of Dave the Dinosaur. Rita Simons was a great sport, especially when following the spotlight, and I was amazed how well she could sing. She was helped in her task by Mrs. Sweet and Charlie, but did they have an ulterior motive?
We visited Mermaidland, where Myrtle, played by Natasha Hoeberigs, and her mermaids also agreed to help Peter Pan in his quest to save the Essence of Pantomime.
Of course there were the usual jokes, some topical, the singing competition between both sides of the audience, and the Ghosts. Mrs. Sweet was a widow and wanted to find a new husband; her target for the evening was Stuart, sitting towards the front of the audience.
At one point we had cast members with water pistols running up and down the theatre aisles spraying the audience with water; I don’t think anyone in the stalls was safe!
Of course there had to be a very messy scene with Mrs. Sweet and Charlie involved.
I thought the lighting by Andrew Ellis and the scenery were both fantastic, especially in the orphanage bedroom when it changed as Tink flew in, and also in the flight scenes to and from Foreverland. We saw Peter Pan fly, and there was also another surprise!
The live music with Eoin Mallon, musical director and keys; Chris Hadland on drums; and William Arbuthnot on guitar was great overall but at times drowned out the singers. In her first song Miss Doodle’s microphone was set very low, but that did improve as the show went on. Also, there was a problem with Tink’s microphone towards the end.
The choreographer for this production was Arran Anzani Jones; the dance number to Proud Mary, one of my favourite tunes to dance to, was great. The six professional dancers were joined by two teams of local dancers; I think we watched the Blue Team tonight.
Great show for all the family!!!
Rating: 5/5
Ticket prices start from £20. A non-refundable £3.50 transaction fee will be applied to your booking.
The All New Adventures of Peter Pan is taking place at The Grove Theatre Dunstable until Sunday, 4th January 2026. For more information or to book tickets, visit everyonetheatres.com or call the box office on 01582 602080.
Grove Park, Court Drive, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 4GP