Pantomimes at The New Victoria, Woking are known for their high production values and celebrity castings, and 2023’s Peter Pan continues this tradition. With lavish costumes, giant crocodiles and more than one cast member taking to the sky, every inch of the stage is used to create a vivid Neverland.
Archie Durrant is a suitably gymnastic Peter and is joined by a prissy, rollerskating Georgia Brierley-Smith as Tink. Together, they make an energetic pair and, together with Bob Harms’s smooth Hook, hold the main elements of the original storyline together. Wendy Darling and The Darling Boys are unfortunately very underused but make the most of the stage time they do have, with Chloe Riley making a confident professional debut.
As the Smee brothers, Anton Du Beke and Paul Chuckle work together well, their delivery different but their excellent comic timing combining for lots of laughs. As the run continues, I’m sure this relationship with tighten even further and I’d put money on the number of ad libs increasing too. Du Beke is, of course, mainly known for Strictly Come Dancing, and the script milks the connection through character name (Anton Du Smee) and an extended dance sequence that gives an opportunity for him to inexplicably don top hat and tails. Having already firmly established the character through acting alone, it was a beautifully choreographed but unnecessary crowd pleaser.
And speaking of crowd pleasers, there’s Paul Chuckle’s Starkey Smee with his years of showbiz experience seeping through every scene. He quickly holds the children in the audience in the palm of his hand with his well-honed patter and ‘off the cuff’ reactions.
As Mrs Smee, Nigel Ellacott is a glamorous and elegant Dame celebrating his 50th panto with this show. Not only a multitalented performer, he also designs and creates his own costumes and appears in a succession of brilliantly ridiculous outfits. With wit and even a little smut, he brings a touch of old school variety, including a bedtime stripping scene with a twist—always a popular gag.
The talented ensemble of eight support as Lost Boys and pirates, executing Alan Burkett’s choreography with style, but it was a shame they didn’t get any opportunities to create characters of their own, particularly within the brief hideout scenes.
Peter Pan doesn’t always make for the easiest of panto adaptations, and Alan McHugh’s script (with additional material by Paul Chuckle and Matt Slack) is an enjoyable mix of set pieces but with little plot development. Bright delivery is, of course, important in panto, but moments of pathos are also allowed, and by including all the major plot points in act one, the drama, such as Tink losing her wings, is glossed over quickly. Similarly, the impressive fight scenes are over in a flash with little tension established in the build-up.
However, all the classic panto hallmarks are included—audiences get to boo at Hook, both Smee brothers have their own callback greeting and the Dame firmly fixes her gaze on an (un)lucky member of the first row—congratulations Mike! In the context of the wider show, however, these sections feel like bolt-ons, and, whilst still a silly sequence, the famous "12 Day of Christmas" song is a little laboured and far more orderly than many a production on a smaller stage.
Hearing an auditorium as large as the New Victoria ringing with laughter is a wonderful sound, and there is no doubt that Peter Pan hit all the right notes with the audience. For those looking for a more comprehensive telling of the Pan story, it may be a little lacking, but for those wanting a boisterous and animated show, it’s a glossy night of festive fun.