Peter Pan

As the old saying goes in show business, the show must go on and so it did in Nottingham on the opening weekend of the Pantomime, Peter Pan at the Theatre Royal - (oh yes it did!) when illness caused Gok Wan, the leading star of this years production to miss the Sunday evening performance.

Standing in with only a few hours notice Alan Burkitt, excelled as the Magical Merman, normally the Director and Choreographer he deputised so successfully that by the end of the performance, apart from his sometimes present clipboard with his lines on, you would not have known he was an impromptu understudy with the audience receiving a truly unique performance.

The story of Peter Pan is one of the most magical and high flying adventures- with the Nottingham production being no exception. Like most modern pantomimes the plot got lost at times along the way with a series of sketches deviating from the storyline.

Nottingham born Richard Winsor brought a touch of menace albeit with maybe a little too much charm as Captain Hook. Famously known as he portrayal of Caleb Knight in BBC’s Casualty, he seemed to be a big hit with all the mums in the audience.

Paul Chuckle as Starkey could otherwise have seemed lost without his late brother Barry, the two became household names via their Chucklevision children’s television show. Cleverly introducing into the Panto two of the duos old routines, the dress fitting scene and the Magicians Assistant gag was reworked with Richard Winsor and ventriloquist Steve Hewlett.

Along with his puppet, the mature Arthur, Hewlett received some of the best giggles of the evening from both young and old alike in the audience. Kate Stewart as Tinker Bell provided some glamour with Molly Farmer as Wendy Darling provided s child like innocence with her brother John Darling being played with aplomb by Matthew Allen.

The opportunities for Aiden Carson as Peter Pan to fly were kept to the minimum, thankfully in the second half he found his wings!

With the Nottingham Panto being an interactive one, if you happen to be a dad going along to see the show, you might find you could end up on stage taking part in a short resume of Goldilocks and the Three Bears - complete with plates of shaving cream!

With glittering costumes, brilliant choreography, stunning scenery and some very good special effects, including one with a big reptile this is a pantomime that is set to fly high.

The omission of Gok Wong could have been a calamity, instead the situation was turned around into an unqualified success, by the talented Alan Burkitt, who rightly received a big applause at the end of the evening- complete with a bunch of flowers given to him by one of the production team.

Some of the gags might be as old as the hills and the omission of any of this years chart songs being a minor occurrence, though if you want to be transported to the world of NeverLand for two hours of fun and frolics this production will make anyone believe they can fly. - oh yes it will!

Runs until Sunday 12th January 2025.