Tuck Shop’s Peter Pan, Phoenix Theatre Review
Ophelia Love & Richard Energy in Peter Pan.
Written by Eleanor for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
As Christmas comes around again, many are venturing to the theatre for panto season. And becoming increasingly popular are adult-only pantos. I was lucky enough to see, and review, my first adult panto last year and was excited for this second outing. Phoenix Theatre’s offering this festive season is Peter Pan by Tuckshop; a collective founded by Christopher D. Clegg who has had a production in the West End every year since 2019. Their previous works include the series of Death Drop comedies and five seasonal pantos.
This version of Peter Pan is as smutty and innuendo-filled as you would expect. The ensemble cast were a joy to watch on stage and held the audience in the palm of their hand. Although some aspects of the show were under rehearsed or excessive, the entire night was utterly fabulous and had the audience laughing from beginning to end.
We are first introduced to the Darling family as Wendy (Kitty Scott-Claus), John (Kate Butch) and Michael (Cheryl) give their rendition of “Our House” by Madness – the first of many musical offerings in this show. These three performers are an excellent trio to lead the show, with their ever increasingly posh accents causing lots of hilarity. Kate Butch in particular had a keen eye for what could get the audience laughing and would use that to their advantage at every opportunity.
The group are soon visited by a rather lustful and amorous Peter Pan (Richard Energy). Energy had a lot of swagger and I loved his witty comebacks and back-and-forth with the audience. After trying some rather unique methods to reattach his shadow, he and Tinkerbell (Ophelia Love) lead the group to Neverland.
Neverland is a magical place, but in this retelling, it’s because Peter can have his way with most things that can move! This includes Ethel Mermaid (Mahatma Khandi). But Hook (Ginger Johnson) is determined to put a stop to all these encounters, and with the help of his trusty crewman Smee (Yshee Black) he hopes to kill Peter and avoid the ever-vibrating crocodile. Ginger Johnson commanded the stage and was the perfect panto villain. Their scenes with Yshee Black had well matched energy and included many comic pantomime beats.
I appreciated how Tuckshop’s version of Peter Pan was able to include so many comical scenes and moments while retaining the familiar elements of the classic story. This really helped as there were not many additional sets or props which could be relied upon (which is to be expected as this panto is not being performed in a dedicated space, with the stage and wings being used for Stranger Things: The First Shadow the majority of evenings). The range of jokes generally was also impressive, offering something for everyone. While there were plenty of pop culture references and familiar memes that most audiences would recognize, there was also humour rooted in drag culture and the cast more specifically.
My favourite moments came from the original, repetitive songs that gradually sped up and created chaos on stage among the cast. No one seemed to know what was happening—but that unpredictability was exactly what made it so much fun!
Overall, Peter Pan delivered exactly what I’d hope for in an adult panto. Although I missed a bit of glitz, glamour and a little extra polish, and some scenes were a bit unnecessary, this talented cast brought their own elements of outrageous humour and fully committed to the madness of it all. If you’re looking for a cheeky, laugh-out-loud alternative to traditional panto this Christmas, this offering is well worth seeing.
At Phoenix Theatre on select dates until 6 January 2025.
★★★★
