REVIEW | Peter Pan Goes Wrong

The cast of Peter Pan Goes Wrong UK Tour. Photo by Pamela Raith

Written by Emmie.

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review

Please note the production has smoke, haze, pyros, fire and loud bangs. Recommended for 8+. A few jokes and minor sexual references are in this piece.

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There is no stopping the masters of comedy, The Mischief Theatre. Not only does their production The Play That Goes Wrong continue to shine in the West End, but internationally this company delivers gold-standard plays to thousands of audiences. Peter Pan Goes Wrong is currently on a UK tour as well as a Christmas season planned from 23 November for 7 1/2 weeks!  

The premise for this production makes a return to the amateur theatre group, the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society.

This time they’re taking on the challenge of putting on a production of J.M. Barrie’s classic story, Peter Pan. What could possibly go wrong? 

The premise of this story is still the same in this amateur production (well just about!) There are still the recognisable characters; the boy who never grew up, the sassy fairy, and the evil Captain Hook. However, in this production, it’s not Peter Pan who is the real star of the show.. 

This small cast plays their own part in making sure the production goes without a hitch, many of them transitioning to different roles - although hats off to Jamie Birkett who has a particularly demanding job of moving rather swiftly between characters!

There’s no doubt that when you come to see a Mischief Theatre production it comes with heaps of boisterous energy and pace - Peter Pan Goes Wrong is no different. 

When you enter the auditorium, you are thrown into the action of preparing to run a show. The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society stagehands are already causing their own chaos with some audience participation thrown in for good measure!

As the title suggests - everything that could possibly go wrong when putting on a production, does! This production delivers the laugh-out-loud moments to the jaw-dropping acts that come out of nowhere but land brilliantly with the audience every single time. 
There is continuous action in this style of comedy and Mischief Comedy make it look polished in its execution. 

And if you love a little dose of pantomime - there’s a lovely little integration of that in this show that aligns with the flow. The audience contributes to the mayhem and atmosphere of the show, often shouting out responses including “It’s behind you!” (much to the delight of Jack Michael Stacey).

There's a fantastic integration of pantomime about the show in this one with lots of "It's behind you", much to the delight of George Haynes. The audience contributes to the mayhem and madness of the show by showing out responses and this definitely adds a fantastic layer to Peter Pan Goes Wrong. 

Peter Pan Goes Wrong is an experience in itself and the staging really emphasises not just the storytelling but the dynamics in delivering their style of work. We are transported to the various locations of Neverland and the Darling's home by a revolving stage and thanks to Jean-Luke Worrell, he keeps us up to speed with the storyline as the Narrator.

This production is a pure source of terrific entertainment! This new cast is superb in its delivery but also honours the legacy which Mischief Theatre has with many of its devoted fans across the world.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Peter Pan Goes Wrong is on tour until March 2024, with a Christmas season in the West End planned for a limited time from 23 November. Visit peterpangoeswronglive.com for all of the relevant information.