REVIEW: Peter Pan at the Liverpool Empire

Dec 17 2009 Chester Chronicle

PETER PAN/Empire Theatre, Liverpool, until January 3

REVIEW/by Peggy Woodcock

OH DEAR. Nana's foot fell off, Peter Pan and Wendy lost their mikes and Les Dennis struggled to keep his wig on, not to mention his tutu!

Peter Pan at the Liverpool Empire on Tuesday had its mishaps and it has to be said that the cast coped well, Dennis particularly seizing the moments to get more laughs.

It also has to be said, though, that the show struggled through a fairly flat first half. Peter Pan is a magical story for children but not an easy one to put on stage. It involves flying and child performers, both tricky. And it doesn't lend itself readily to panto treatment.

A mountain to climb then. On the plus side, there were star names on the billing with Henry Winkler, most famous as cool dude The Fonz from the US TV series Happy Days, Liverpudlian comedian Dennis, and ex-Atomic Kitten Natasha Hamilton.

Peter Pan is all about the little boy who won't grow up, who flies the Darling children to Neverneverland where they have huge adventures with the lost boys and the Indians and fight with the notorious Captain Hook.

Two things are key: the flying and the sword fighting. In this show both struggled. Nerves affected the former, I think, and confidence will grow. The latter, though, was embarrassing. It needs a lot more work or make the fights shorter – best of all, both.

However, the Neverneverland sets were superb, the costumes gorgeous and by the second half nerves had calmed and the mood lifted to happier times. Actually, the best fun came when the show abandoned the story and settled down to being a panto.

Dennis joined the co-pirates for silly songs and the audience sang along to Hey Jude. They got kids up on stage who innocently came out with the best lines and promptly stole the show.

Winkler was a dapper Captain Hook, if a little overwhelmed by his magnificent jewelled pirate gear. He played up his baddie role with relish. Better known these days as a best-selling children's writer, he nevertheless got the biggest cheer when he gave us a brief glimpse of The Fonz!

Hamilton was in good voice as Peter Pan. The role didn't sit easily with her, but then she had the most flying and sword fighting to do. Nikki Davis-Jones gave good support as a strong Wendy, and there was much to enjoy in the enthusiasm of all the children in the show.

Dennis, surprisingly for the adept showman he is, had a slow start. But then it isn't easy to fit a panto dame role into Peter Pan. Full marks, then, for sheer hard work and before long Nora Nutroast, ship's cook, had it all going on.

After all this was Liverpool, where they love a good time. As Winkler said, in a charming speech acknowledging a cheering audience at the end, 'The world can learn a lot from a Liverpool audience!'