Peter Pan at the Gladstone Theatre Port Sunlight Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by K. Moreau
Based on the well known story by J. M. Barry, but with a delightfully silly pantomime twist, Dreamworld Entertainment’s Peter Pan is a riot! The story follows the usual tale of Wendy (played by Darcey Blake) and Peter (played by Lewis Pryor) and their adventures in Neverland, with a few changes here and there. Most notably, Wendy has a sister called Joan, instead of a brother called John, and of course the inclusion of a pantomime Dame (Michael Chapman).
All of the actors were fantastic. In fact, I struggle to choose a favourite. Peter Pan is delightfully charming. Darren John Langford’s Captain Hook was an excellent villain, proudly entering each scene to booing and jeering from the crowd: the children really enjoyed the back and forth interaction and banter he had with the crowd. His comedic timing was excellent, and I really enjoyed the persona he portrayed- if you enjoy Rik Mayall style humour, you will definitely like this Captain Hook! Another contender for the adults’ favourite was Dame Tootles, with everything you’d expect from a pantomime dame: adult humour, physical comedy, and plenty of banter with the crowd. The children particularly loved Mr Smee.
I really enjoyed the song choices throughout: a very clever mix of pop songs for all ages. I won’t say which songs, as I enjoyed the surprise of not knowing what was coming next. I shall say that my 11 year old was ecstatic at two songs in particular in act 2. And my Millennial heart was overjoyed and surprised to hear the song chosen for Wendy’s solo, which Darcey Blake sang wonderfully. Honestly: I had goosebumps, it was that beautiful! Listening to Wendy and Tink’s duet was such fun. And the kids will love Captain Hook’s alternative version to a well known recent pop song.
The ensemble was very talented, with the choreography making us gasp out loud at some points, with the lifts they were pulling off! The young ensemble was adorable, with a few well placed lines each. They were clearly very well rehearsed as their dancing was perfect. The set was your typical panto set and the set changes were swift and discreet, with clever use of lighting to assist.
A good panto relates to the audience, and I loved that they personalised the play, with the names of local towns used at several points throughout. They also cleverly referred to many of the current kids’ trends and fads in their jokes. My eleven year old was giggling non-stop, and the 15 year old was rolling his eyes and stifling a smile, in that “Uh, that’s so cringe” way that teenagers do, when they actually think something is funny, but are too cool to admit it. I asked the boys after the show whose age range they felt it was mostly aimed at: and they both argued that it was more for their age than the other ones. I also saw families there with much younger children, who were engrossed in it all too. So I’d say it’s safe to assume that this is a show that will be enjoyed by every age. Indeed, just as I thought the show was aiming too young for my tastes, one of the characters would stroll up with a well timed innuendo and have the grownups laughing out loud, and the kids none the wiser.
Overall, this performance of Peter Pan is a clever balance of slapstick humour, which appealed to the children in the audience, and jokes that had the adults giggling too, combined with endearing characters, wonderful singing and impressive dancing.
Rating: 4/5
Peter Pan is showing at the Gladstone Theatre from Saturday 6th December to Wednesday 31st December.
Ticket prices start from £23.50 (standard), £20 (concession), £76 for a family ticket (two standard and two concession) inc fees+
For more information or to book tickets visit www.gladstonetheatre.org.uk
or call the box office on 0151 643 8757
The Gladstone Theatre, Greendale Road, Port Sunlight, Wirral, CH62 4XB