Reviewed by Catherine Joyce
Do you believe in fairies? This is the question The Dukes are asking as they have a magical Christmas production this year, full of fairy dust, flight and plenty of laughter which is a fantastic Christmas treat for all the family.
Sarah Punshon, the Dukes Artistic Director has written and directed the Christmas production of Peter Pan and has done a fantastic job of modernising J.M Barrie’s traditional tale, it still has all the characters we know and love but has a few twists and turns along the way.
I always like seeing the Dukes Christmas performances because the Round theatre is such a good venue for a production; we had front row seats and really felt part of the action all night.
I am sure everyone is familiar with the story of Peter Pan, in the Dukes version Wendy Darling thinks she’s too old for stories, but that’s all about to change. On Christmas Eve, Peter Pan and Tink appear to take her on the adventure of a lifetime. Flying away to a wondrous island, Wendy meets Peter’s friends, the mischievous Lost Boys, and must face the terrifying Captain Hook. Can she help Peter and his friends escape Hook’s clutches, and make it home in time for Christmas Day?
The play starts in Wendy’s bedroom and this is where we first meet Peter Pan and Tink. Tim Skelly (lighting designer) has cleverly used light and lamps around the theatre to portray the fairy Tink flitting around the room. I have seen a few versions of Peter Pan over the years and this was by far the best one I have seen, I think the size and shape of the theatre really made it look convincing and more importantly appear magical to the audience. With a circular stage the cast are going to have their backs to the audience at some point in the story but the play is carefully directed to make use of the whole stage therefore eliminating this problem.
In an unusual move Tink was a dungaree wearing boy, not quite what we were expecting but it worked really well and Jason Patel played the part of the mischievous fairy with great passion giving us plenty of laughs throughout the night.
With it being a small theatre I wasn’t really expecting Peter Pan and Wendy to fly but I really should have known better as the Dukes are such an innovative bunch and of course they added a touch of Christmas magic with a spectacular, acrobatic flying scene which was fantastic to watch, I won’t say too much and spoil it for everyone but it really was amazing and my 8 year old niece was really impressed and said it was one of her favourite parts of the show!
The star of the show for me was Helen Longworth as Captain Hook, her costume was brilliant, and she had a real stage presence. All the scenes with the pirates were very funny, especially whenever the crocodile was around. The very best part of the play for us was when Captain Hook was eaten by the crocodile; this was very well done and very entertaining to watch.
Every single cast member was outstanding, they all played multiple roles and costume changes were amazingly fast allowing the play to run smoothly. There was lots of audience participation, especially from the children, which added to the fun of the night. My niece was selected to help the pirates and she was thrilled, she had a huge grin on her face the whole time and couldn’t stop talking about it all the way home!
The performance started at 7pm and finished just after 9pm so is just the right length for children.
The Dukes theatre is easy to find, situated close to the centre of Lancaster with plenty of parking nearby. The car park we used had an evening rate of just £1.50 and was very close to the theatre.
The Dukes have come up with an absolute winner this year; there is no need to take the second star to the right, and straight on ‘til morning, when you can just go to Lancaster for your own taste of the magic of Neverland.
The show is at the Dukes until Saturday 5th January so it would make a lovely Christmas treat for all the family.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £12 to £21 (booking fees may apply).
Peter Pan is at The Dukes in Lancaster from 23 November 2018 to 5 January 2019, for more information or to book tickets visit www.dukes-lancaster.org or call the box office on 01524 598500.
The Dukes, Moor Lane, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 1QE | 01524 598500
