This year the Theatre Royal are returning to their festive roots and giving us a Christmas Musical Extravaganza, not a Panto , Oh yes it is! Oh no it’s not, it’s a musical extravaganza with a smattering of Panto sprinkled across it like fairy dust.

It’s Peter Pan, which has been adapted by Eric Potts into this interesting version, keeping all the traditional bits, adding some slick west end musical tributes, and hefting in some knock-about  fun too.

Like a Christmas cake, it’s packed full of material that any other time of the year would make you sick, but is perfect for the Yuletide season, you might even want a second helping.

It looks lovely, and I mean magnificent, all glitter and 3-D sets, classic lighting and constant change and movement.  The set has a modernist 1930’s feel, with touches of Flash Gordon about it, and with the various psychedelic sets of Neverland being flashed by in the twinkle of a lost boys eye, it works well.

Peter Pan is played by a man, Harry Francis, who is quite the strapping lad, firm of buttock and huge of thigh and previously a soloist with the Cuban ballet company ProDanza, so he can jump and twirl and often does. His flying style is admirably classical too, all stretched fingers and pointed toes as he’s flung about the stage. Luckily he’s got a baby face which means if you don’t’ look too hard at the bulging veins and muscles then he could just about pass as a boy.

His acting and singing is fine too. Captain Hook/Mr Darling are admirably covered by Granville Saxton who gives Hook a real gentlemanly delight and depth of character that has almost been eroded by the usual depictions. His Hook is both gent and monster, callous and cruel and wonderfuly scared of Tick Tock the Crock. His voice which scrapes along the bottom of the lowest notes then rapidly hits the high notes of shrill madness is a delight to listen to, he is C.A.M.P.  I loved him and went home feeling terribly sorry for Hook, even though (from his last words) he was an old Etonian. 

Charlie Cameron plays Wendy and the role highlights the tender (and slightly obsessive) romantic relationship between her and Peter. 

Fenton Grey plays Smee (and is also the director) with enthusiasm and fun and the Pirate interlude is wonderful, silly fun with a thick level of classic innuendo artfully ladled over it. 

Special mention for Darron Gifty for his dancing, and Samuel Holmes for his uber-gay Pirate Starkey, who kept me laughing all the way through.

Right, enough of this analytical rubbish. I took a young friend along with me who was eight and a half years old, to keep my arty-farty cynical side in check and insisted I hissed and booed Hook, shouted out ‘behind you, behind you’ (your career it’s behind you?) and clapped manically for restoration of the irritating and rude Tinkerbelle, who seemed to have slipped into a K-Hole at one point. It was great fun, the flying to Neverland scene gave me goose bumps, the theatre was packed and the costumes glittered and swirled constantly. 

I had a little trouble with the racist and jingoistic undertones of the writing and this should have been edited out, JM Barrie, like Kipling, were a product of their time, but ‘Squaw’ is an unacceptable term today. That’s what the eight year old was for, to keep me in the moment.  To never grow up. To stop thinking about what this indoctrination was doing to the kids.

So, it’s good, and fun and there’s enough magic to keep the young ones thrilled (mine talked about it all the way home, and all the next day!) and enough raised eyebrows, fit flesh, innuendo and irony to keep the adults chortling to themselves.  The cast give their all and dance and sing constantly, there’s a live orchestra, the kids in the cast are flawless and the songs are beautifully done and it all ends in a glittering finale.  


Runs until Jan 3rd at the Theatre Royal

Book here:

http://www.ambassadortickets.com/925/664/Brighton/Theatre-Royal-Brighton/Peter-Pan---Brighton