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Palace Pan-to is a flyaway success

Posted onPosted on 3rd Dec

Flash, bang, wallop, what a panto! From the moment the scene for Peter Pan was set in the opening minutes with a reprise of well-known Cockney-style songs from famous musicals, to let us know we were in Edwardian London, the adventure had begun, writes Tim Morriss.

In fact, there was no let-up right from the start as the laughs and action came thick and fast.

Following that sing-along opening, cheeky-chappy Smee (Adam Moss) — Captain Hook’s reluctant sidekick — launched into a quickfire routine of jokes and immediately started one of the best parts of pantomime — audience participation.

For those who don’t know Moss, think a look-alike (to my ageing eyes) for Bradley Walsh with all the comic timing and witty one-liners of the TV gameshow presenter and comedian… and more.

As the children tried to out-shout the adults under Smee’s expert guidance, you knew you were in pantoland from the off.
Then we were whisked away from London to Neverland to join the Lost Boys and mermaids as Peter Pan fought the traditional battle against Captain Hook with the help of the Indians, a crocodile and, of course, the jealous Tinker Bell (Holly Atterton).

A spectacular element of the show was the flying as Peter Pan (Jessica Punch), Wendy (Rosie Needham), John (Harley Jay-Martin and Josh Chick) and Michael (Thomas Brown and Jacob Jones) took to the skies.

Particularly effective were the scenes where they flew through the skies as images of London rooftops were beamed on to the stage — and where the mermaids (also flying) swam under water.

The forthright Punch portrayed the title character well, while the children were a delight with mature performances.

The Lost Boys arrived via the stalls before we were introduced to Hook, played by Coronation Street baddie Marc Bayliss — and what an introduction. He was announced X Factor-style with a booming voiceover and shooting flames.

From the start Hook had the audience booing him (always a good sign) and included enough Corrie jokes for lovers of the hit TV soap.

Children also loved getting wet as first water pistols and then super-soakers were fired into the audience — and on row O I was not safe!

It was great fun, as was the boisterous mermaid Persil (Hayley Jo-Whitney) who, for me, made up for the story lacking the traditional panto dame.

And the dancers from six local groups who played village children and Lost Boys — Syncopation School Of Performing Arts, Stage Door Academy Of Dance And Theatre, Expressions Performing Arts, Directions Theatre Arts, Academy Of Dance and Stagecoach — deserve special mention, too.

The high-intensity show had all the right ingredients for a panto — laughs galore for young and old, spectacular effects, audience participation, great comic timing, and the odd twist along the way. It was the best panto I have seen at the Palace.

On the night that I watched, Peter Pan came with a second happy ending — we all know that in panto everyone lives happily ever after — when Smee (Adam Moss) proposed live on stage to his girlfriend, Karen Tomkins. She said ‘yes’, of course!

I can’t guarantee that you will get a similar surprise ending if you go to watch the show — but I can guarantee that you will have a terrific time.

The panto is continuing at the Palace Theatre until 31st December. For tickets, call 01623 633133 or go to www.mansfieldpalace.co.uk