:: This review appeared in the Wolverhampton Chronicle on Thursday 11th December ::
Second star to the right and straight on until Wolverhampton where a Peter Pan-tomime is delivering lots of laughs and a little magic too.
With the opening in the nursery of the Edwardian London home of the Darling family, where Peter Pan glides through the window in search of his runaway shadow, one might have imagined a straightforward musical version of JM Barrie's classic tale.
However, the transformation of the green fairy (courtesy of a laser beam) Tinkerbell into a leggy, ditzy blonde on rollerskates summed up this production's clunky gear changes between magic and mirth.
But there is much to recommend this production that has taken up residence at the Grand until January 25. Chiefly, it has The Krankies, a double act steeped in musicl hall tradition and naughty Carry On humour.
They are the best comedy act in a Grand panto since, well, lat year when the Krankies starred in Dick Whittington. Anyone who saw that show will get a sense of deja vu, especially when the pintsized Janette Tough does the expanding bust and bum routine, only this time instead of Barbie Girl it's as 'Amy Shorthouse,' beehive wig askew as she sings 'I ate too many kebabs, does it show, show, show.'
Subtle they ain't but nor is the panto, and the eight year old next to me was in hysterics at Wee Jimmy Krankie's antics.
Other pluses include Paul Nicholas as a camp toff Captain Hook, on Tuesday soldiering on despite a croak in his voice that threatened to finish him off before the croc with the clock, and Broadway performer Amra-Faye Wright, an excellent singer who doubles up as Mrs Darling and a wise-cracking American mermaid.
The music is an uneven mix of tuneful and tuneless originals (I didn't like Tiger Lily's R&B cacophony) plus 'Follow The Leader' from the Disney animated movie, and choreography from director Barbara Evans is jerky.
The young leads are actually played by youngsters, with panto debutant Becky John a splendid Wendy but Jack Montgomery is a too bland Peter Pan - the original wild boy should have a hint of danger about him, after all, he did lop off a pirate captain's hand and toss it into the jaws of a crocodile.
The panto could have done with moe "it's behind you" and "oh, no they didn't" moments but made up for that with the change to throw sponge rocks at Captain Hook, tempting a few members of the audience to hold back their ammunition for less appropriate moments.
Not the perfect panto, for sure, but Peter Pan delivers the giggles and, thanks to colourful sets and costumes, glamour too.
- Leon Burakowski
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