Writers: Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields
Director: Adam Meggido
This is a show that delivers exactly what it promises. In a production by the (one hopes) fictional Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, Peter Pan does indeed go gloriously, riotously and very funnily wrong.
Following on from the worldwide success of The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong premiered in 2014, has toured extensively and played in the West End, also being adapted for TV in 2016.
Prior to curtain up, the audience is treated to various mishaps going on as a company member tries to get the onstage lights working, an actor tours the auditorium looking for a missing hammer, props are moved and moved again. All of this preparing the audience for the fact that this is, to say the least, not a well-organised production.
At the start, Jack Michael Stacey’s louche Chris introduces himself as the director and the actor playing Hook and Mr Darling. Matthew Howell’s Robert introduces himself as the co-director, instantly corrected to assistant director by Chris, and the tensions between the characters are clearly highlighted. Robert describes the show as a pantomime, whilst Chris insists it is not. The cross-footlights banter with the audience that follows this can be imagined. We also learn that one of the actors, Theo Toksvig-Stewart’s engagingly keen and vulnerable Max, has brought in a large donation from his uncle, thereby securing himself the role of Michael in the show, for personal reasons which become clear later. This also explains their ambitious set, running even to a revolve, about which more later.
Starting in the Darling’s home, where the scenery proves to be less than robust, Stacey’s Mr Darling is searching for his cufflinks (keen-eyed audience members may have spotted he is wearing cufflinks already) and failing to tie his tie. We discover that Clark Devlin’s Dennis, playing John Darling, knows none of his lines and so is wearing a ‘state-of-the-art’ highly conspicuous headset to be fed his lines. He delivers every line with zero feeling and repeats every word he hears whether appropriate or not, even transmissions from radio stations, local taxi firms etc. This is very funny at first, but becomes a little less amusing as the evening goes on.
There is, however, much to enjoy as Stacey is almost strangled by his tie and Howell’s Nana becomes wedged in a dog-flap (is that a thing?) in the door. This means that Stacey has to make the most tortuous, apparently impossible exit through the narrowest opening imaginable. During this, he shows remarkable flexibility and masterful timing and physical comedy skills. Meanwhile, Jamie Birkett’s Annie shows her mastery of quick change (most of the time) and versatility, rapidly changing backwards and forwards between Mrs Darling and the maid. The inevitable outcome can be guessed.
What is so clever about the show is that the terrific comic skills of the cast and the precision of the beautifully rehearsed stunts make the set-pieces, predictable or not, equally hilarious. One can only imagine the countless hours of rehearsal the accomplished director, Adam Meggido, has put in with the cast to achieve this level of polish.
Gareth Tempest was suitably obnoxious as the self-absorbed Jonathan, playing Pan. He is subjected to the most appalling flying, turning upside down and crashing into the scenery, all of which he handles with great aplomb.
Howell has a delicious scene as an unintelligible pirate trying to get Devlin’s obtuse Dennis to hand him a sword to free the apparently indefatigable Birkett, now playing a lost boy before dashing back to change into an enjoyably cross Tinker Bell. Stacey’s highlight is a scene where Hook is becoming more and more exasperated, trying to poison Pan, whilst apparently trying to deal with an audience that is desperate to play up the usual pantomime schtick. Both of these scenes built superbly until the audience were quite helpless with laughter.
This is a strong ensemble cast, with Ciara Morris an engaging Wendy and Rosemarie Akwafo a terrified stage rookie who comes into her own. Jean-Luke Worrell camps it up joyously as a twinkly narrator and an inept pirate and Jake Burgum is an amusingly macho stagehand and a reluctant understudy.
Simon Scullion’s ingenious set does all that could be asked of it, from a revolve that will not stop or start when wanted to a pirate ship that tips dangerously backwards and forwards. Revealing any more would spoil the fun.
Throughout, sound cues are messed up, with much accidentally revealed about the characters that was not intended to be made public. Much of this is very funny but again, the joke becomes a little tired by the end of the evening. It should be said, however, that for every gag that doesn’t entirely spark there are half a dozen that bring real hilarity.
This is an extremely funny and thoroughly entertaining production. The perfect antidote to a cold, damp winter’s evening.
Runs until 17 February 2024
