Pan's the man

Dec 24 2008 By Barry Dix, Surrey Herald

Walt Disney has a lot to answer for. Thoroughly entertaining screen masterpieces they may be, but all those wonderful cartoon features, retelling and tweaking fairy tales from Snow White to Sleeping Beauty, have made it almost impossible to watch stage shows of such productions without the Disney version swirling round in the back of your mind.

Peter Pan is no exception. The fresh-faced hero, the evil Captain Hook and that darned crocodile with the ticking alarm clock, are as familiar as the faces of old friends. (Not that any of my friends look like crocodiles, of course).

So a hearty cheer for the Theatre Royal Windsor and its version of J M Barrie's classic tale of the boy who can never grow up.

Director Ian Masters and his team have done a grand job of 'deDisneyfying' the production.

For a start, Peter Pan is rougher and tougher than many of his previous incarnations, particularly when he was traditionally played in the West End by females in the shape of Lulu and Hayley Mills.

Christopher Parker, who was Spencer Moon in EastEnders - getting more fan mail than anyone in the history of the show and then going on to reach the final of the first series of Strictly Come Dancing - is a strident, almost over-confident Peter, but it makes a refreshing change.

Jack Ellis had plenty of experience playing a despicable prison warder in Bad Girls so is ideally cast as Hook, and throws himself into the role with gusto, singing and dancing with enormous energy and transforming easily into the character of Mr Darling.

Further rejection of the Disney way of doing things comes in the portrayal of Tinkerbell, with just a pinpoint of light and appropriate sound effects, the way it was done in some of the earliest stage versions of Peter Pan.

Milkshake! presenter Hannah Williams is a delightful Wendy, while Dr Who favourite Elisabeth Sladen is not exactly overburdened by her contributions, appearing just at the beginning and end as Mrs Darling and featuring in a mermaid tableau.

Holding everything together is Windsor regular Christopher Beeny as Smee but his regular cohort Michael Sharvell-Martin is somewhat under-utilised as Delia the Cook.

The dame is normally the pivotal role in pantomime, but not here, I'm afraid.

A few will be disappointed that the show lacks some of the usual rumbustious energy but, that said, there's plenty of excellent entertainment to brighten up anyone's Christmas, amid the perfect panto setting of the Theatre Royal.

All the various youngsters perform enthusiastically and there's even a display of choreographed dog agility from Kate Nicholas and her collie Gin, fresh from their success in Britain's Got Talent.

You could say Neverland works with children and animals.

* Peter Pan is at the Theatre Royal, Windsor, until Saturday, January 11. Call the box office on 01753 853 888.