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Patrick Jervis as Peter Pan Lucy Charnock the
superb Wendy, Alex Nichols as the nerdy Michael and Chris Buckle as the
baby of the family, John
Peter Pan
Sutton Coldfield Musical Theatre Company
Lichfield Garrick
****
JM BARRIE’S timeless children’s classic
was an excellent choice for half term week in Lichfield.
The libretto is unusually strong for a musical,
and although the score is less familiar, it is instantly accessible, and
works with the story, rather than simply being an excuse to fit in a
good song.
Novel (1904) and musical (1954) are separated
by half a century, the latter winning numerous awards for its
reimagining of the original story. The theme of childhood innocence
endures.
Musical and pantomime versions routinely cast
Peter as a young woman, however here, the producer, Faye O’Leary,
bravely opts for a young man, Patrick Jervis, to play the eponymous
role, reflecting a more straight forward, narrative production, than
knockabout panto.
Technically this show is very demanding,
including multiple stage sets, flying rigs, and Tinkerbell as a bright
shaft of light. It is an ambitious enterprise to take on.
Aoife Kenny as Tiger Lilyleading The
Braves
Amateur companies have
a big advantage over professional ones when staging musicals as they can
muster the numbers on stage without crippling costs. From the opening
curtain, it was clear that this was going to be a big production with
the opening song, There’s Something in
the Air Tonight performed as an
ensemble piece.
As the setting then
shifts to the bedroom of the children’s home, so Dan Ankatell picked up
the gauntlet, confident, convincing and perfectly cast as Mr Darling
opposite Carly Highland, playing his wife.
All three children
bring pleasing character to their roles. Chris Buckle, the youngest,
eschews the cute kid
short cut and brings John alive. Alex Nichols offers us a well observed,
reserved, almost nerdy, Michael, and Lucy Charnock is superb as Wendy,
effortlessly morphing from sister to mum, with a strong singing voice in
her acting armoury too.
The show lifts off, in both a literal and
figurative sense, as the children travel and arrive in Neverland, with a
slick, energetic, dance scene featuring the Lost Boys,
 a
real showstopper of which choreographer Maggie Jackson can be very
proud.
She is fortunate that the script also requires an
Indian dancing troupe, The Braves, to perform, headed by Tiger Lily .
She was even more fortunate to have the lithesome Aoife Kenny in the
role. Aoife danced, shimmied and strutted with an enthusiasm, dexterity
and adroitness that will surely have Beyonce looking over her shoulder.
Although Peter Pan provides the billing for the
show, Captain Hook provides the soul, wonderfully performed by Peter
Beck . Beck, replete with long flowing locks, looked like a strange
hybrid of King Louis 14th and Geezer Butler, commanding the stage
whenever he appeared, ably assisted by the indefatigable Craig Allen as
his sidekick Smee. The two of them providing a memorable comic pairing.
Pan battles with arch baddy Captain Hook played by
Peter Beck.
Further laughs were provided by a panto style dog
and crocodile, much to the delight of the younger children in the
audience. The narrator was played by the evergreen Lynne Hill with charm
authority and wistfulness, embodying the spirit of the evening.
Musical Director Sheila Pearson and her band
performed the music with brio and elan, with the tom- tom player
particularly committed to the cause. Production manager and stage
manager Glyn Adams should also be congratulated for making a complex
set, and the all -important flying, work so well.
This show offers a very enjoyable evening out for
young, old, and the young at heart. J M Barrie wrote ““It is frightfully
difficult to know much about the fairies, and almost the only thing for
certain is that there are fairies wherever there are children.” That
magic was captured tonight, and runs till 31st October.
Gary Longden
28-10-15
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