Mansfield Palace Theatre is hosting a brand new panto this Christmas – The Further Adventures of Peter Pan – The Return of Captain Hook. The UK Productions show is running until 31st December. To buy tickets click here or call the Box Office on 01623 633133 or call in at the theatre Box Office. Tim Morriss went along on Friday evening to enjoy the swashbuckling fun.

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Never underestimate the power of pantomime to entertain theatregoers of all ages, from the very, very young to the very, very old!

This year’s festive show at Mansfield Palace Theatre has put a fresh twist on the escapades of Peter Pan in Neverland, with a new follow-up story bringing it into the social media age – but don’t worry, the totally new tale retains all the fun elements of a traditional panto.

That meant The Further Adventures of Peter Pan – The Return of Captain Hook had my five-year-old granddaughter – and, no doubt, many more in the theatre – well and truly hooked!

From the opening minutes the laughs came thick and fast as now resident Palace panto funnyman Adam Moss, playing a seventh festive season there, packed in the one-liners, quickly got the audience participating – and gave some in the front half a gentle soaking.

It set the tone for a funny, fast-paced show that flew by – yes, of course, there is flying, as Peter Pan and others took to the skies to the delight of younger members in the audience.

The new story sees Peter Pan (Connor Keetley) still as young as ever, but his friend from the original story, Wendy, has grown up. In fact, she is now 104 and it is her great great granddaughter, Emily – who doesn’t believe in the Peter Pan adventures that she has heard so much about from her great great grandmother – who joins the fun.

Emily (Jenny Huxley-Golden) brings the panto right up to date, permanently attached to her iPhone and with a love of selfies and apps. She is taken to Neverland by the fairy Tinkerbell (Holly Atterton) to persuade Peter Pan that the dastardly Captain Hook (Marc Bayliss) did not die when he was forced to walk the plank at the end of the well-known tale. Instead, he was washed up on a beach and his ship, the Jolly Roger, is now a pleasure cruiser.

Hook’s plan is to kill Peter and steal the magic dust so that he can defy the laws of gravity (yes, there are lots of great songs to sing along to!) and fly himself.

But Tinkerbell, Peter Pan and Emily have other ideas – and they are joined by Hook’s former sidekick, the loveable pirate Smee (Adam Moss). Will they succeed? Well you will have to go along to find out for yourselves – and you will not be disappointed. It is a thrilling ride full of all the usual panto merriment and mayhem.

As well as the flying Peter Pan and others, look out for our favourite scene with Ethel Mermaid (Sarah Jane Buckley) under the water at her Fishcotheque.

There were many other highlights, in particular Smee and his pirate crew tumbling and flying through a fun acrobatic segment, the chance to shout out loud ‘He’s Behind You’ in both halves of the show, and topical gags… think I’m A Celebrity and prime minister changes.

And, of course, in this digital age the crocodile is still going TikTok!