Cornwall

It is always fun when a classic is given a fun local and festive glow up or two, and Steve Marmion – back again as the writer and director of this year’s Hall for Cornwall panto – has done just that with Peter Pan.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/11/Peter-Pan-Hall-for-Cornwall-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings-1000x667.jpg" alt="Peter Pan HFC" class="wp-image-32371" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/11/Peter-Pan-Hall-for-Cornwall-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/11/Peter-Pan-Hall-for-Cornwall-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/11/Peter-Pan-Hall-for-Cornwall-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/11/Peter-Pan-Hall-for-Cornwall-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings-788x525.jpg 788w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/11/Peter-Pan-Hall-for-Cornwall-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Once again the enchanted scene is set in Cornwall, down in Penzance, where Mr and Mrs Darling (Lucy Park and Dan Ball) have moved recently with their children Wendy (Jade Lauren) Michael and John (Lyra Shepherd and Joel Molin) and Nana the dog (Olivia Warren). 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04522.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-1000x667.jpg" alt="HALL FOR CORNWALL, TRURO, ENGLAND - December 3rd 2023 : Hall for Cornwall, Playhouse Production of Peter Pan, second dress rehearsal, photographed by HFC photographer in residence Hugh Hastings." class="wp-image-32503" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04522.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04522.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04522.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04522.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-788x525.jpg 788w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04522.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Soon enough night has fallen, Peter Pan (Cornwall&#8217;s own Ollie McFarlane) and Tinkerbell (Sara Markland) have appeared chasing missing shadows and after a short stand-off we are flying over St Michael&#8217;s Mount, heading for the second star to the right and onwards for naughty Neverland where a gaggle of Lost Boys are waiting for the rest of the crew. These back-flipping young actors were picked from auditions across Cornwall and were slick and inspirational counterparts to their adult co-stars.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="631" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04714.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-08.12.23-1000x631.jpg" alt="HALL FOR CORNWALL, TRURO, ENGLAND - December 3rd 2023 : Hall for Cornwall, Playhouse Production of Peter Pan, second dress rehearsal, photographed by HFC photographer in residence Hugh Hastings." class="wp-image-32506" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04714.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-08.12.23-1000x631.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04714.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-08.12.23-800x505.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04714.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-08.12.23-768x485.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04714.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-08.12.23-832x525.jpg 832w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04714.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-08.12.23.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Obviously, it wouldn’t be a panto without a villain, so step forward Hook, played by Cornish talent Edward Rowe&nbsp;(last year&#8217;s Long John Silver, and you might also recognise his name from Bait, or as the Kernow King) alongside his sidekick Smee (Colin Leggo) and naturally, being the pirates of Neverland, once again he was accompanied by a motley crew of ne’er do wells and wrong-uns, including Biana (Charlotte Vaughan), all the better to deliver dead-pan Dad jokes and old-fashioned humour alongside a decent amount of slapstick and booing. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="633" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04590.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-1000x633.jpg" alt="HALL FOR CORNWALL, TRURO, ENGLAND - December 3rd 2023 : Hall for Cornwall, Playhouse Production of Peter Pan, second dress rehearsal, photographed by HFC photographer in residence Hugh Hastings." class="wp-image-32502" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04590.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-1000x633.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04590.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-800x507.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04590.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-768x486.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04590.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-829x525.jpg 829w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04590.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Taking a leaf out of any number of other pantos, Hook, Smee and the rest of the cast members joyfully massacre&nbsp;12 Days of Christmas (‘a partridge in a pear tree’ becomes ‘a person dressed as a bee’ and so-on). The presence of &#8216;hench-men&#8217;, five toilet rolls and the water pistols used to soak the audience were extremely funny – and the highlight for my young son as my plus one, who attempted to sing this new version at another carol concert later in the weekend, such was his delight at &#8216;two super soakers&#8217;.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="659" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04594.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-1000x659.jpg" alt="HALL FOR CORNWALL, TRURO, ENGLAND - December 3rd 2023 : Hall for Cornwall, Playhouse Production of Peter Pan, second dress rehearsal, photographed by HFC photographer in residence Hugh Hastings." class="wp-image-32507" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04594.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-1000x659.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04594.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-800x527.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04594.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-768x506.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04594.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23-797x525.jpg 797w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04594.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-03.12.23.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



The second act brings yet more high jinks, quite literally as Peter and Hook&#8217;s fighting is mainly and comically in flight as well as with the crocodile, as Peter Pan attempts to rescue the captured Michael and John, and Tinkerbell has some sort of mid-life crisis to Miley Cirus sat on a child&#8217;s suitcase (relatable, and a welcome change of pace). 



A version of a re-branded David Bowie medley involves Hook and Tinkerbell and with musical numbers also including Take That, Megan Trainor and more, there is a song for everyone, including some sing-along &#8211; the good thing about panto is no-one is going to get you ejected for singing along (audience participation actively encouraged, of course).



And, as expected, it all works out in the end; everyone is reunited for a good ol&#8217; finale and a whole load of confetti &#8211; and included 9-year-old Woody Grimwade taking flight across the top of the cast to highlight that when (Peter Pan author) JM Barrie gifted Great Ormond Street Hospital the rights in 1929, the hospital has enjoyed a special relationship with the boy who wouldn’t grow up &#8211; Woody had been receiving treatment at GOSH and is now well enough to join in. What could be more heartwarming than that?



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="670" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04657.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-08.12.23-1000x670.jpg" alt="HALL FOR CORNWALL, TRURO, ENGLAND - December 8th 2023 : 9-year old Woody Grimwade flies by wire on stage at the end of a performance by the Cornwall Playhouse of Peter Pan; Photographed by HFC photographer in residence Hugh Hastings." class="wp-image-32508" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04657.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-08.12.23-1000x670.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04657.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-08.12.23-800x536.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04657.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-08.12.23-768x515.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04657.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-08.12.23-784x525.jpg 784w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/12/04657.-HFC-Images_Hugh-Hastings_-08.12.23.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict-nbsp">THE MUDDY VERDICT&nbsp;</h2>



Last year&#8217;s awesome Treasure Island set the bar up around Peter Pan&#8217;s flying, so expectation was high, particularly from my seven-year-old son. Peter Pan doesn&#8217;t perhaps lend itself quite so well as Treasure Island did to allowing both proper story-telling and panto elements, so purists of either might have wanted more from the second half, and the conclusion, but that doesn&#8217;t stop the festive fun which more than made up for it.



Good for: Everyone and their grandma, including and particularly families after a hit of feel-good festive laughter.



Not for: As with Treasure Island, if you&#8217;re not a fan of musicals, or panto, this isn&#8217;t going to be your thing, but I suspect you knew that anyway!



Peter Pan is at <a href="https://www.hallforcornwall.co.uk/whats-on/peter-pan/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hall for Cornwall</a> until 31 Dec 2023.

Review: Peter Pan panto, Hall for Cornwall, Truro

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