Gala Durham – until 27th July 2024
Review by Stee Leahy
4****
Adapted by Laura Turner
The stage was set, it was somewhat reminiscent of the opening of ‘Everybody’s Talking about Jamie’ – Absolutely not what you would visually expect from a production of ‘Peter Pan’. It was intriguing.
Opening the show was Lucy Davis’ Wendy, A 13-year-old girl alone in her bedroom. Lucy’s energy was electric from the moment she began to sing. Such a fantastic voice and one I would’ve liked to have heard a little more throughout the show. The first real scene consisted of Wendy having a conversation with her mother Cassandra, played by Rosie Stancliffe. Stancliffe Plays a few characters in this production, however the role of Cassandra was my personal favourite of hers. Her on stage mother/daughter chemistry with Davis was spot on.
The next significant characters we are Introduced to is that of the three lost boys played by Rosie Stancliffe, Jordan Larkin and Meena Al-Nawrasy, respectively. Each bringing dynamically different characteristics to their roles. Each working together to complement one another. I would like to point out that Larkin’s portrayal of ‘Nibs’ was one of the stand outs in the show for me. Bravo! Delicately hilarious.
Rounding off the lost boys is that of Peter Pan, brought to life by the incredibly talented Lucas Bradley Benson. His entrance was perfect, he flew! I do however wish this was the first time that the flying mechanism was used. It was put to use earlier in the show, depicting Wendy travelling to Neverland, that was fun too – however, I just think the impact, the magic and the wow factor would have hit so much harder if the first character we saw fly was indeed Peter Pan. Benson captured the essence of the traditional Pan wonderfully. I could see him play Peter in any version or vision of this beloved story. Perfect casting!
Finally we meet Captain Hook, but like you’ve never seen him before. He’s done away with his pirate boat, sword and to my disappointment even his iconic hook hand – in this version, he’s more along the lines of a dodgy cowboy biker! Kieron Michael was the Hook we never knew we needed. Funny, witty, camp and enjoyable – after all who doesn’t enjoy a good villain! He had us in the palm of his hand – and we loved being there too.
The story had the same skeleton, it hit all the main plot points you’d expect to see in any production of Peter Pan, however, it is absolutely not what you would expect when thinking of “Peter Pan”.
The simply elaborate set was used to its fullest, creating different parts of Neverland by just changing and moving slightly. It was beautiful, the trees particularly were stunning.
The cast as an ensemble were excellent… The scenes I enjoyed the most were that which consisted of everyone being on stage at the same time. Again, the character dynamics were exceptional.
The character of Tinkerbell, honestly was nothing less than you’d expect in London’s West End. The projection and the way the characters held an imaginary little fairy in their hands had the children, and the grown-ups smiling with pure joy. I loved that.
If you’re looking for something with a great message, something that’s a little bit different, then I definitely think this reimagined version of the much loved family classic is the show for you. Peter Pan and Wendy at the Gala Durham – it’s an awfully big adventure!