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Captain Hook, Mrs Darling, Smee and Peter Pan Peter Pan
Malvern Theatres
***** THE pantomime season exploded into
dynamic life in Malvern last night with the opening night of Peter Pan. Scott Ritchie’s team provide a varied and
colourful show that was much enjoyed by a large audience, and set the
run off to a great start for the next few weeks. Based on J.M. Barrie’s
novel Peter Pan and Wendy
the story explores the imaginary world of a young boy and his adventures
in Neverland. He encounters the Pirates, the Indians, the lost boys and
the infamous Captain Hook. Peter transports the young Wendy and her brothers
into his imaginary world for a time of dramatic excitement and adventure
before returning them to their anxious parents. However Peter cannot be
persuaded to leave the world where he is able to fly and remain a
carefree boy forever. The show moves between the streets of London and
the bedroom where the Darling children sleep and the shores of Neverland,
where we find the mermaids’ lagoon, the shore, the woodland and the
boys’ hideaway. We even spend time on
board the Jolly Roger
where Captain Hook is superseded by his soft-hearted lieutenant Smee.
This provides a perfect opportunity for the show’s designer to present
us with great variety of scenery much of it depicted on various stage
cloths. The production is wonderfully colourful, evocative and musically
vibrant. Smee, played by Andrew Agnew, provides something
of a link in the development of the story. Agnew, with his Scots accent
and warm-hearted humour, carries off the corny jokes with huge aplomb.
With his cheeky humour and ultimately good heart he captures the hearts
of the audience. Agnew’s athleticism in the acrobatic gymnastics scene
is truly admirable! The singing, especially
by the female members of the cast, is excellent. Hannah-Jane Fox, as Mrs
Darling and the Mermaid, has a wonderful voice; Rosie Needham, as
Tinkerbell, delivers the Fight song
with terrific power and conviction while Jessica Punch and Anna
Lawrence, as Peter
Mark Moraghan plays both Mr Darling and Captain
Hook and delivers the latter with just a suitable degree of menace,
stereotypical ‘baddie’ but without scaring the youngest in the adience!
Andrew Rothwell, Jacob Theisinger and Chris Gage are the Pirate Crew
Nitwits; their clowning and their acrobatics and general humour provide
great entertainment with gymnastic feats that were both hilarious and
inventive.
The cast is then completed by the
townsfolk/Indians/dancers and the Lost Boys and children with Rhys
Harris Clarke and Oliver Simmons charming as John and Michael. Alastair Bull has done a wonderful job with the
choreography and mention should also be made of Nana the dog (Amelia
Arnold) that were both and of course the Crocodile! The show even provides some light-hearted
moralising: be positive and believe and you will be reinvigorated! You
never value people until you miss them! Mothers always send you to
sleep, when you are not tired, but wake you up when you are! All
wholesome entertainment! Pantomime provides the full works: the musicians,
the costumes, the lighting, the colourful sets all add to a feast of
vigorous fun, colour and energy. The audience were delighted and if the
cast can maintain this energy for the coming three and a half weeks,
adults and children alike are in for festive treat! To 03-01-16 Timothy Crow
10-12-15
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and
Wendy, sing a lovely duet together.