"Peter Pan Goes Wrong" by Mischief.
Nottingham Theatre Royal.
From the same company that brought you "The Play That Goes Wrong" and "Magic Goes Wrong", here's another wonderful slice of comedy mayhem. Anything that can possibly go wrong, will go wrong, and it does, causing utter Pandemonium.
People laughed at Les Dawson playing the piano out of tune, but that was a smoke screen for a talented pianist, as with Tommy Cooper's bungled magic tricks, and that is the same here. It may look like a catastrophe but every one of the actors are primed to perfection with comic timing, and that's what makes this play one of the funniest plays doing the rounds at the moment.
The Cornley Youth Theatre are the theatre company within the theatre company who are putting on "Peter Pan", After last years stripped back version of their last Traditonal Vignette, not a panto, "Jack And The Bean", comes this classic Christmas offering, in October.
Here's a play that all ages will enjoy and that showed in the audience tonight. There's slapstick and what comes across as some really violent "accidents", but don't worry kids, it's all done in the best possible taste and within the bounds of health and safety, but boy does it look good and exercises the old chuckle muscles.
There are plenty of "boo" moments with the evil Captain Hook and the hero of the piece is Max who saves the day as the Crocodile, or is that actor Theo Toksvig-Stewart? It can get a little confusing when the characters are played by actors who are really characters in the play, played by real actors.
Talking of which, here's who's playing who......
Jake Burgum plays Trevor, the Stage Manager, who also gets his five minutes of fame, getting to show off more than just his skills!
Jack Michael Stacey plays Chris, who plays Mr Darling and Captain Hook. A lovely relationship with the audience was exhibited, as Hook, in the scene where he is poisoning the medicine for Pan. Proper panto participation fare, hyping up the audience.
Matthew Howell is Robert who plays Nana The Dog, Peter's Shadow and Starkey. A wonderful performance centred around Nana's dog flap was just one of Matthew's highlights.
Jean-Luke Worrell is Francis, the Narrator and Cecco. With all the cast there are so many highlights, but watch Francis emerge from his narrator role to deliver "Big Spender". Jean-Luke's eyes and smile couldn't get any wider.
Ciara Morris is Sandra who is Wendy Darling. You can just tell that Sandra is one of Cornley's repressed singer and dancer. She manages to over act beautifully while delivering a script in the style of contemporary dance. Marvellous.
Theo Toksvig-Stewart is Max who plays Michael Darling, A Mermaid and The Crocodile. Oh, you do feel sorry for Max with the undisclosed revelations being disclosed over the speaker system, especially about the real reason he is in the Cornley cast, but there is a good ending for Max, after we receive full disclosure! A brilliant snappy performance as the Crocodile as he slithers around the stage.
Clark Devlin plays Dennis, who plays John Darling, a Mermaid and Smee. Poor Dennis has problems remembering his lines so is prompted via headphones, but even that aid goes awry after other radio airwaves leak through.
Jamie Birkett is Annie, playing Mrs Darling, Lisa the Maid and Tinkerbell. There are some very quick costume changes between Mrs Darling and Lisa, some actually are successful. Tinkerbell's costume really lights up Tinkerbell's personality, but it's not drinking Peter's poisoned medicine that brings about her shocking demise! It's a good job we all believe in fairies though!
Gareth Tempest plays Jonathan who plays Peter Pan. Poor Gareth's nether regions must be taking some stick with all that flying, well with the harness that is used to allow Pan to fly. Love the back story between Jonathan and Sandra, and it gives this pantomime the "above the children's heads" secondary level feel. Something that the kids would not quite latch onto. There's some lovely slapstick moments for Gareth as well.
Rosemarie Akwafo is Lucy playing Tootles. Lucy is terribly stage shy and has to be prompted, which also means her stage fright gets in her way of watching out for bits of scenery that may just frighten her even more. Does she ever get over that stage fright? Only one way to find out!
And then for Cornley Youth Theatre there was Flavia, Jack, Chip and Pip (Assistant Stage Managers), also possibly known by their actor names of Romeo Mika, Claire Noy, Consuela Rolle and Phil Yarrow.
Directed by Adam Meggido, this show is so well timed to the split second to get the maximum laughter and affect from the audience who lapped up every second of the show. Productions that have that "thrown together" look and feel are always the ones that have had the most work done on them. I saw this show eight years ago when it cruised into Nottingham but everything on stage was as fresh as when I first experienced it. there are a few bits that have been updated, which has only added to the sparkle and excitement of this shiny revised version.
The Set Design is almost a star of the show in it's own right. Designed by Simon Scullion, the design in a piece of theatre like this has to be specific - for health and safety reasons. Take for example the collapsible triple bunk beds, the rocking Pirate Ship as well as the big drops that some of these actors have to make from the scenery. Plus the three main sets are all on a revolving stage, which seems to have a mind of its' own. especially in the second act!
The costumes are by Roberto Surace and as expected in a story like this, they are brilliant.
Lighting by Matt Haskins and sound by Ella Wahlström. Both areas timed to perfection, but would we notice if they weren't as it could be all part of the show!
This is an early panto treat for everyone and some classic panto lines liberally cast out by some well-placed stooges, making for some great "audience participation" and adding to the overall fun of this show.
A show that I would frequent many, many times; it's just a shame that it has taken eight years to come around again, but believe me, to see comic timing as good as this, it's so worth the wait. Still one of the best high energy comedy shows to grace the stage, and it's suitable for absolutely everyone from five to one hundred and five. A guaranteed cheek muscle acher.
"Peter Pan Goes Wrong" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Sunday 15 October.
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