Peter Pan is the story of the boy who woudn't grow up – and judging by the shrieks and squeals of laughter from both children AND adults in the audience on Friday night, there are plenty in Cornwall who are still a child at heart also.
This year’s offering for the always much-anticipated Hall for Cornwall panto loosely follows JM Barrie’s classic story of the Darling family and their encounter with the mischievous boy who can fly, Peter Pan.
Taking the eponymous lead role this year is Ollie McFarlane, a Falmouth University graduate making his Cornwall Playhouse debut, although it must be hoped this is not the last we see of him.
Full of fun and energy – with some impressive loop-the-loops in harness, plus singing to boot (and let me tell you, after experiencing ‘flying’ on the very same stage earlier this summer, this would not have been as easy as he made it appear; it hurts!) – he needs to become a cast regular!
One man who is already a familiar face come panto season is Edward Rowe, who can always be relied upon to carry a show and this year was no exception.
Followed by plenty of ‘boos’ wherever he went, his really rather well-spoken and refined Captain Hook brought the good-natured peril that you want from a panto baddy – someone to shake your fist at without actually being scary for the younger members of the audience.
Of course what Ed – also known by his stage name the Kernow King – really excels at is audience interaction, and this was especially evident during the high-energy version of the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, with reworked lyrics, Peter Pan style.
I won’t give away the surprises, but let’s just say the audience gets fully involved, particularly those in the first eight or nine rows – perhaps a little more than some would like!
Also returning is Colin Leggo as Hook’s lead shipmate Smee, who led a hilarious wordplay exchange at one point and provided much of the comedy relief, alongside the energetic Olivia Warren as the family’s dog Nana, who I just adored – three woofs from this reporter!
Set in a Marazion-esque village – clearly St Michael’s Mount in the background, with some additional fun tweaks on well known national chains, namely the ‘Woodenspoons’ pub and the ‘Pirate Manger’ coffee shop – the story follows the Darling family after their move from London.
Another newcomer, Jade Lauren, is a likeable Wendy who manages to bring plenty of strong female vibes to the role without it coming across as preachy, joined by two of the very cute children’s ensemble as Wendy’s brothers John and Michael.
They first encounter Peter Pan in the bedroom of their new Cornish home, before flying off into the night sky and away to Neverland against a starlit backdrop that was really quite magical.
There follows plenty of elements of the original story, including meeting the Lost Boys, a spectacularly lifelike crocodile, and of course Tinker Bell’s story arc of going from Peter’s right hand woman to feeling abandoned by his new friendship, before racing in to save the day, pink sparkly guitar in hand.
Bringing a wealth of experience to the role is Sara Markland, who has worked extensively with the RSC, National Theatre Studio, Young Vic, Royal Court and in the West, and is now back on stage for the first time in a decade after taking a break from theatre.
Her glittery gold DM boots sparkled almost as much as she did, clearly relishing the chance to be back in front of an audience again.
READ MORE: Meet the cast of Peter Pan on a flying visit to Hall for Cornwall - literally
Now, call me a prude, but one thing I particularly enjoyed about this production is the lack of smut that so often pantomimes seem to fall back on to bring the laughs. The last thing you want to be doing in the car on the way home is ‘explaining’ half the jokes to a persistently curious eight-year-old.
Aside from one very purposeful look at the audience by Hook for what was, let’s be fair, a pretty classic maritime innuendo (and one that would have gone totally over the heads of most under the age of 11) this rose above all that, with scriptwriter Steve Marmion instead using clever word play, quick wit and just a small sprinkling of classic panto cliches – oh yes he did.
There were even moments of genuine emotion, particularly in the five-strong rendition of Used To Be Young by Miley Cyrus, featuring Hook, Tinker Bell, Lucy Park and Dan Ball as Mary and George Darling, and Charlotte Vaughan as Bianca Sanddune – all strong singers who provided a really thought-provoking moment in an evening of high jinks.
Up-to-the-minute pop-culture references, including a Barbie homage complete with Mermaid Gosling and Mermaid Dua Lipa, were joined by songs for those of us who can remember pre-millennium (including a boppy Five medley) that will leave you dancing in your seats – and out of them at times – for what must surely be one of the best Hall for Cornwall pantomimes to date.
- Peter Pan runs at the Hall for Cornwall until December 31, with tickets starting from £15.
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