Caitlin Morrell
For a high-flying pantomime production, Peter Pan fell short of expectations of typical pantomime theatrics with lack of any coherent plot line and dragged out comedy acts recycled from an adult night comedy act.
What was a supposed nostalgia trip for me, a theatre goer who once had a family Christmas tradition of going to see a Pantomime at the Nottingham Theatre Royal, was a hot mess and some more when I went to watch the opening weekend of Peter Pan. Aside from stunning set and costume design as well as certain performances from a couple of the stage actors, I find this pantomime less than satisfying and more a variety show to satisfy its own comedians.
We start in the room of the Darling children, with Tinkerbell (Kate Stewart) floating and talking to the audience with some technical difficulty. Then, abruptly, we’re introduced to Peter Pan (Aiden Carson) who wakes up the surprised Darling children, including Wendy (Molly Farmer), John (Matthew Allen) and Michael (Harley Butler in last night’s showing). One thing led to another and now we’re in Neverland with the lost children after a musical number. Out comes our stars of the night one by one: Steve Hewlett’s Smee who was a fun laugh with his ventriloquism, Paul Chuckle’s Starkey who was the star of the show in the first act, and two more unexpected actors.
if there was anyone who tried to make Peter Pan feel like a pantomime, it’s Winsor who deserves all the praise.
The original actor for the role of Captain Hook was TV presenter Denice Welch, whose face was plastered all over Nottingham in posters advertising the show. It was only until I got to the theatre that I found out, due to illness, she was replaced by former Casualty star, Richard Winsor. He pulled off a great performance as a pantomime villain, immersed in the role with an exaggerated voice and classic pantomime call and response. You knew it was going to be entertaining when Windsor took the stage with jeers and boos from the audience. And so, if there was anyone who tried to make Peter Pan feel like a pantomime, it’s Winsor who deserves all the praise.
Burkitt made a catastrophe a hilarious running gag.
Another unexpected actor was the director himself, Alan Burkitt, who replaced Gok Wan as the Magical Merman. It was a shame for Wan to be ill on opening weekend out of all showings, but as they said, the show must go on. Some great skits were created despite the lack of notice for not only the audience but Burkitt himself. Repeatedly, we were told Burkitt took up the role at only hours’ notice without any rehearsal. From being the Magical Merman’s “twin” to his golden clipboard where he scrambles to find his next line, Burkitt made a catastrophe a hilarious running gag. Whether this be genuine or part of the act, Burkitt had outdone himself despite no rehearsal. It was an admirable feat that should not be overlooked (and was well rewarded at curtain call).
It was a shame a good portion of the jokes were either too inappropriate for a pantomime showing with children…
Hewlett and Chuckle gave some great comedic acts, which included much improvisation and audience interaction. Despite the laughter he generated, Hewlett stumbled slightly at the start until he brought out his puppet, leading to crude humour (some I felt got out of hand as the night went on) and many self-deprecating jokes. It was a shame a good portion of the jokes were either too inappropriate for a pantomime showing with children sitting on boosters to see the stage or had Hewlett as the butt of the joke. These comedy acts, dare I say, even went on the drag at the end. On the other hand, Chuckle gave great acts as well, recreating classic Chuckle brothers jokes with other actors on stage and allowing others to play off him. He had great chemistry with the others, even giving Burkitt the much-needed push for confidence. No stranger to Pantomime season in Nottingham, Paul Chuckle was a delight to watch.
But I fail to see how some jokes were appropriate for a family pantomime. Some caught me off guard, some had me looking at the children’s faces to see if it went over their head or if they laughed too. For a crowd that was mixed with age, adults laughed more than children. That, or they laughed because everyone else laughed. Thankfully, not everything was too inappropriate and there were great moments that came from family-friendly options (which Paul Chuckle and sometimes Steve Hewlett offered). However, I would’ve expected an adults-only night with one too many adult jokes that, while leaving me laughing, had me wondering if these could have been avoided. After all, surely it’s possible to remove multiple sex and genetilia jokes for funny family-friendly jokes?
It is difficult to say much about the others. The singing was great, the dancing was great, the acting was great. But that was it. At points, I heard more backtrack than singing and they missed out points where the big stars could have had prolonged interactions with the smaller actors. By the end of the performance, I believe I watched “How Captain Hook’s Plans were Foiled” rather than Peter Pan. It’s a shame since previous pantomime performances allowed these roles to play with the audience more despite the lack of star power they hold, or at least have more presence on stage. Do I believe they could’ve been utilised more? Considering the lack of plotline, yes. I thought the end of act one was rather pointless for the sake of an ironic joke that failed at its punchline.
I would only recommend watching if you can sit down and not take any of it, seriously.
Overall, when the jokes fell, they fell hard, and when the jokes dragged, they dragged on. Peter Pan was a tad-more-than-mediocre pantomime production when it held promise with its talented cast but lacked sustenance that makes a pantomime a pantomime. Would this be an adult night comedy variety show I’d accept it. But the magic of the pantomime is retelling a story while mixing comedy acts, something that made the second act that much better than the first. I would not count on relying heavily on star power if you plan on watching this production. I would only recommend watching if you can sit down and not take any of it, seriously.
Caitlin Morrell
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of Whitefoot Photography . No changes were made to these images.
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