Peter Panto and the Incredible Stinkerbell – Tron Theatre, Glasgow

Writer: Johnny McKnight

Director: Johnny McKnight

Designer: Kenny Miller

Musical Direction & Composition: Ross Brown

Choreographer: Eva Forrester

Riverland is a world away from the West End where Wendy Darling-Darling (Emma Mullen) lives with her Waitrose shopping Dadda (Robert Jack) and Mamma (Katie Barnett) and her (unfeasibly large) pet dog Nana (Marc Mackinnon). Stinkerbell (Johnny McKnight) lives happily in Riverland with her best pal Peter Panto (Star Penders) until the adventurous Peter meets Wendy and whisks her away to their side of town. Poor Stink is cast aside as lovestruck Peter focusses all his attention on his new darling. Into the mix comes the dastardly Captain Hook (Robert Jack) and his side kick Anita Wee-Wee (Katie Barnett) who are trying to recruit new members for their evil crew. Will Stink, stung by rejection be tempted by Hook’s amorous advances and turn to the dark side, and will Wendy ever get back to Byres Road?

Following on from Louise McCarthy’s perfect panto performance as dame last year, Johnny McKnight returns to The Tron in his finest form to take centre stage as the silver sequin-clad tsunami of spectacularness Stinkerbell.

The show cracks along at break-neck speed, the banter is sheer brilliance. The audience interaction is good-natured, never threatening and utterly hilarious. The script is perfectly on point, there are local references galore and McKnight’s usual digs at other theatrical institutions around Scotland are here too. It is as clever as it always is, never patronising, never dumbing down, always hysterical.

Ross Brown’s musical compositions are used relatively minimally but to maximum effect. There’s an Elton John-esque 70s style footstomper delivered by Captain Hook and Anita Wee-Wee with Jagger swagger that brings the house down and a love song parody that challenges the heteronormative panto tropes and has its tongue planted firmly in its cheek but still shines a light on certain hoary old stereotypes perpetuated by a certain other panto across town.

The chemistry between the cast shines through, they look like they are having a ball and the genuine warmth transmits to the audience. The trio of McKnight’s Stinkerbell, Robert Jack’s Hook and Katie Barnett’s Anita Wee-Wee is pure comedy gold.

Peter Panto is a great big inclusive warm hug of a show and as perfect a pantomime as you could possibly wish for.

Runs until 31 December 2024 | Image: Contributed