Peter Pan, Theatre Royal Nottingham Review
Peter Pan at Theatre Royal Nottingham. Photo by Whitefoot Photography.
Written by Sam for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Peter Pan is a classic children's novel by J.M. Barrie that tells the story of a boy who never grows up and lives in a magical world called Neverland. The story primarily follows Peter Pan, the mischievous and adventurous boy who can fly, as he takes the Darling children—Wendy, John, and Michael from London to Neverland, where they encounter lost children, pirates and fairies.
This adaptation focuses more on comedic entertainment from the likes of Paul Chuckle and Steve Hewlett rather than following the traditional story from Barrie. By doing this, we are exposed to more than just acting and singing, Hewlett also performs as a ventriloquist whilst portraying Smee which I have never seen in a pantomime before, so I thoroughly enjoyed this element. He is exceptionally talented and has a great rapport with the audience and has plenty of interactive moments with them. I think he was a standout performer – he kept everyone engaged throughout and did not lose the crowd.
The nostalgia of seeing one of the most iconic childhood TV personalities really made the show. Chuckle, who plays Starkey had the audience hooked from his first elloooo. His engagement and enthusiasm for being on stage just added the extra sparkle we needed to be transported to Neverland. We were also fortunate to see everyone’s favourite routine, ‘to me, to you’ and it was executed so well. The audience loved it, and I was taken back to my childhood! I wished that he had Barry on stage with him to see how iconic both the Chuckle Brothers are. Paul remains a true national treasure.
Unfortunately, Gok Wan couldn’t perform as the Magical Merman on Sunday due to illness but director, Alan Burkitt came to the rescue as the twin brother and my goodness what a performance. I don’t know Burkitt, but his performance was incredible, I was laughing many a times, and the clipboard was a genius idea. As it was a last-minute change, and of course, Burkitt couldn’t learn two hours’ worth of script within a limited timeframe, he showed he was more than capable of taking on the challenge. When the lines were forgotten, Burkitt turned it into a little improv sketch and I thought to have that much stage presence as someone who directs rather than acts, is a fantastic accomplishment and one he should be exceptionally proud of. I thoroughly enjoyed Burkitt’s performance and would love to see him on stage again.
It can’t be a pantomime without a villain who thrives off being booed by the audience. Richard Winsor was born to play Hook, and the audience were ready to boo, trust me. He certainly made the character his own and had a fair share of puns / jokes which made him laugh on a couple of occasions.
I loved how they all broke character briefly during the show and diverted away from the script. Improvisation makes a pantomime; things go wrong and it’s even funnier than you were anticipating because they are human at the end of the day and remembering lines is difficult.
The scenery, music and lighting were all designed beautifully. I loved the cartoon designs for the set because it was colourful, so it felt like you were on an island. All the cast made great use of the space, and the set filled the stage both horizontally and vertically.
I thoroughly enjoyed the amount of adult humour within this show as I’m old enough to appreciate it and laugh, but I do wonder if some of it is a little inappropriate for younger children. In particular, the cucumber scene as it’s set up to imitate a penis – yes, I was in hysterics, but I did wonder what the parents must have been thinking at the time as the scene went on for some time.
Overall, Peter Pan will make you laugh for two hours straight, and you’ll be flying through the show and devastated when tick tock, the time is up, and the show is over. This is a really fun experience showcasing an array of talent from singers, dancers, actors, entertainers and musicians.
If you sprinkle a bit of pixie dust over your keyboard and mouse, you will be taken to a page where you can purchase tickets to see Peter Pan never grow up. This show is on until 12 January 2025 at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham.
★★★★★
