Peter Pan at the Theatre Royal Nottingham Review

Reviewed by Sandip Stapleton

We went as a family of 4 to see the panto Peter Pan at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal and had an amazing night.

It was our second panto and our kids, aged 4 and 7, were really looking forward to it and thankfully, they loved it! As did us adults.

We were sat in the stalls which gave us a great view as they are slightly tiered. Our youngest needed a booster seat but this was easy to obtain at the cloakroom stall. We didn’t put our coats in the cloakroom but in hindsight I wish we did as it’s hard to carry around winter coats and look after the kids during a comfort break in the interval.

Volume wise it was just right and not too loud for the young audience, also not too dark either. The play itself is 2 hours long including a 15minute interval.

The play was very close to the original story which was good for the kids to follow along with.

The actors were great and the actor playing Peter Pan was great. He really played the part well and was a very believable Peter.

The comedy moments in the show proved the biggest hits and got everyone laughing along, adults included. I have to say Joe Pasquale was great as Smee and was really funny. He seemed to go off script a few times, but these were probably the funniest bits due to the reaction of the other actors on stage. I have never seen my 7-year-old daughter laugh so much!

The musical numbers were really lovely and nice to have some current songs in the show. There were some greatest showman songs and an Ariana Grande track, so the kids joined in where they could.

Although pantos are family orientated, if you have very young children be prepared that there are a few bits that might frighten them. The crocodile is very larger than life but not too scary. The 3D scene in the second act where underwater creatures try and attack you can be frightening for the young kids. Mine covered their eyes and ears so were fine, but there were a few younger ones crying in the audience.

All in all, we absolutely loved Peter Pan and it has really got us into the Christmas spirit. Well done to the cast and production team!

Rating: 5/5

Tickets cost from £13 to £36.50 (booking fees may apply).

Peter Pan is at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham from 8 December 2018 to 13 January 2019, for more information or to book tickets visit www.trch.co.uk or call the box office on 0115 989 5555.

Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall, Theatre Square, Nottingham, NG1 5ND