Review: PETER PAN, Venue Cymru
From the moment John Evans steps on the Venue Cymru stage as Smee in the Llandudno pantomime version of Peter Pan, he has the audience eating out of his hands. His considerable experience as a stand up comic and many years in panto shines through with his strong charming stage presence, great comic timing and easy engagement of the audience. In every scene, he is naturally in charge, drawing the attention of the audience, and only really upstaged occasionally by the young actors playing Michael, John and Nibs. When he arrives in the Darling House, he is a valet called Smee and it provides him an opportunity to deliver his warm up routine. When Nana the dog is late entering the stage, he does not let us forget, even in the Act 2 recap monologue. When they set sail for mermaid lagoon, he makes the most of comic opportunities of the boat prop. In the wonderful slosh scene set up with the rocking galley, Evans keeps the business on track. When Hook tries to drill his crew, it is Evans who orchestrates the laughs and when he tries to poison Peter, it is Evans dressed as Wendy that makes the absurd scene work. He does throw in a few anti-UK government jokes, the obligatory 20 mile per hour Welsh government joke and just enough adult innuendo to satisfy the older audience members, but the physical business appeals to all. Rarely do you see a performer dominate the show as he does and you can see why audiences love him so much.
The rest of the cast have to work very hard to compete with his presence in a script by Christian Patterson that focuses more on pantomime than JM Barrie’s original narrative. Gone is Mrs Darling, Peter’s search for his shadow, Tiger Lily and marooners rock, and no reuniting with Mr and Mrs Darling and the adoptions of the lost boys. Jason Marc-Williams directs and plays Captain Hook and Mr Darling with a full throttle performance that replaces subtly and nuance with intensity and brashness even when dressed in green sequins in disguise as Peter Pan. The audience has no sympathy for the character even when he explains he was once a lost boy too. Carley Stenson plays Tinkerbell as a chanteuse but the sound mix makes it hard to catch the lyrics. Jon Clayton looks every inch Peter Pan, spinning somersaults in the flying sequences and fighting Hook in a well choreographed fight scene. Georgia Conway makes a very good professional debut as a very tall looking Wendy and Michael and John speak with a clear posh accents.
The staging of the production is good with a magical feel to the prologue, a smooth transformation into the flying sequence to Neverland, a wonderful Ship’s kitchen, and a good underground den (although the safety rails were left undressed). The show may lack some of the magic and illusion of other Peter Pan pantomimes but it looks colourful and smart and is very well lit. The mechanical crocodile is very effective crossing the stage. Choreographer Rachel Sargent adds some excellent routines to open each act using the Ensemble and Juniors well with a charming ‘It’s a Hard Knock Life’ sung by the Lost Boys and the Neverlanders.
The test of any pantomime is the audience reaction and John Evans ensures there is no let up in their engagement throughout the show and no doubt the gag of a poster of him in next year’s pantomime Jack And The Beanstalk will certainly make them take a mental note to book to see him again. And who can blame them.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Nick Wayne
Peter Pan plays at Venue Cymru until 31 December, with further information here.