The Stage

Peter Pan

Published Tuesday 15 December 2009 at 17:30 by Kevin Berry

The sophisticates will sigh and perhaps groan when Keith Harris’ name is mentioned. But have those people seen him work a pantomime audience? In Hull he has grown men crying with laughter, especially when he brings Cuddles the Monkey out of his box.

This Peter Pan is very much a pantomime, a comic strip version of the story with lots of audience involvement. Paul Nicholas is having a wonderful time winding up the audience as Captain Cook. His physical antics with the pirate crew, the entrances and exits, are good and will undoubtedly be more entertaining with more performances.

In the title role, Ben James-Ellis makes an immediate and striking impact. Leanne Fury’s Wendy and Victoria Betterton’s Tinker Bell give fine support.

The Acromaniacs, an acrobat team, follow the trend - at least with Qdos pantomimes - of the speciality act being part of the story. They play the pirates and do thrilling things with a vaulting horse, but their fighting scene in Act I is, it must be said, lacking fun - get a little closer.

Full company numbers have vitality, spectacle and colour. The mix of fantasy and fun makes exciting theatre.