Peter Pan at Gladstone Theatre Review
Written by Roby for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Peter Pan is this year’s pantomime offering at the Gladstone Theatre, produced by Dreamworld Entertainments. It’s guaranteed to be a fun night out for all of the family, but it too often has dragged-out sections that (pun intended) never land.
At times, the show feels like a performance of the play ‘Peter Pan’ that has been lazily adapted into a pantomime. Often, the show feels too plot-based and seems to feel like a Temu version of the Disney film as opposed to a glitzy, fun-filled pantomime that twists the original story. Scenes tend to drag on with irrelevant plot points (such as Smee and Captain Hook’s first scene, and the far too dragged-out mermaid scene). Other times, however, the show certainly provides the pantomime joy you would expect – with a well-paced “ghost gag”, water guns, innuendo (that sometimes aren’t given enough time to land) and lots of modern references such as 6/7 jokes and the panto song of 2025… “Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunters.
Whilst most of the panto elements are well-executed, some elements feel unnecessary. The audience are given the challenge of remembering around three different sayings (such as ‘tick, tock, big fat croc’). Although it is a very small challenge, the audience just wasn’t engaged enough to remember them all. Just one saying would have been fine, in my opinion. As well as this, the ‘song sheet’ at the end of the show takes way too long. With an overall running time of 140 minutes, it was clear that some younger members of the audience became quite restless towards the end of the show. Generally, the pantomime elements are generally well-handled, but the show as a whole could benefit from a shorter running time and much more light-hearted, joke-filled scenes that focus more on a twisted, whacky plot of a pantomime as opposed to the plot of the dated Disney film.
The set, lighting, and sound design throughout the show are all good; the many set changes are handled well, but during these, the audience is left watching nothing and listening to a poorly cut piece of music that often has no relevance. The flying scenes were handled well and looked effective, but after these scenes the harness could be seen swinging from side to side in the wings.
The costumes throughout the show are good, but there aren’t really any standouts. The dame outfits fit the pantomime genre well, but we are robbed of an extravagant, nonsensical outfit that a dame should usually wear. The dancers’ costumes were fine – I recognised one of the pirate costumes as a £20 Amazon purchase I had made for a Halloween party a few years ago. Some costumes are too short, and some of the costumes for Tiger Lily’s dancers are borderline cultural appropriation.
Which leads me on to the performances themselves. Tiger Lily (played by Ellie Clayton) provides the vocal standout of the night, singing the extremely challenging “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” by Tori Kelly with ease. I found it hard to believe that with such an incredible voice, Clayton was simply performing in a pantomime in Port Sunlight, as she has the vocal talents to go on and do amazing things.
Michael Alan Bailey is a brilliant Smee, whose interpretive dancing skills certainly impressed this reviewer! Bailey is quick-witted, charming, and perfect for pantomime. He performs the best Traitors gag I have seen this pantomime season (and, unsurprisingly, there have been a lot!) It’s clear to see why he is the ‘audience’s favourite’. Michael Chapman also makes a funny Dame Tootles, who is a talented singer… Lots of the cast’s singing ability isn’t showcased well in this show, and the lip-syncing to the end of “What Is This Feeling” from Wicked was quite disappointing. Nevertheless, Chapman handles his scenes with ease, which is hard considering most of his lines are with the lost boys (played by children from local dance schools). He is a great performer; it’s just a shame the script restricts him from being even funnier than he already is, as the writing often lacks humour. The dancers in the show are all also very talented. The show uses an adult ensemble of four people, along with teams of talented kids. They all execute the choreography sharply.
Overall, Peter Pan is a great night out for the family. It is funny in places, has great choreography and has some great cast members. The kids in the audience really enjoyed it; it’s a proper, traditional pantomime, but could do with more humour, a shorter running time and more light-hearted pantomime twists to the plot.
Plays until 31 December
★ ★ ★
