REVIEW: The New Adventures of Peter Pan at Playhouse Whitley Bay

The New Adventures of Peter Pan 
Playhouse Whitley Bay
Until Saturday January 4 2025

Bringing together a wonderful array of cast and creatives that share a passion for creating an entertaining pantomime, Whitley Bay's show is a fabulous show. 

There is a real pleasure in attending the Playhouse at this time of the year as the show has a core of genuine fans of the panto format who want to create something really special. Each year the show improves and it was only going to be a matter of time before it finds itself as the region's most entertaining show that won't break the bank (with the obvious caveat that we still have a few pantos to see this year). I apologise if I find myself using a few hyperboles in this review.

This is a new story that starts where the traditional story finishes. Wendy Darling went home to London after Hook had met the crocodile. She is now a great grandmother and the story now revolves around her two great grand daughters, Jessica (Sophie McKinnon and Angela (Charlotte Walls). They have heard the tales about Tinkerbell (Mary J Proud), Hook (Darren Day) and Peter Pan (Harry Downes) however, as members of the smart phone generation, they are sceptical about how true it all is. 

One night Tinkerbell flies in on rollerskates. Expecting to see Wendy, she quickly sprinkles fairy dust and quickly gets the children flying over to Neverland. Meanwhile in Neverland, Smee (Steve Walls) has turned Hook's vessel into a pleasure cruiser and is in the business of organising sightseeing trips. The rumours circulate that Hook survived and sure enough, before long, "he's behind you!"

Hook wants to take control of the Jolly Roger and seek revenge on Tinkerbell et al. When he makes some of the crew walk the plank they are rescued by Patsy The Mermaid (Daniel Mawston) and then they get their chance to get even with Hook.

This is a new story, written by Paul Fergusson, that was written to fit in the panto elements rather than a classic tale that has had the usual tricks shoe horned in. The result is a panto that has expected jokes and audience participation, but has a proper narrative central to its core. The result is that the younger members of the show have a story to follow and engage with, and they get really excited when asked to take part. The yelling coming from the kids must be one of the loudest in panto land as they respond to "why didn't you tell us then?" Some of the kids were even up and dancing during some of the numbers. Of course, and I say this every year, the Playhouse has both very comfy seating AND generous legroom so there is space for the kids to get up without getting in the way or blocking anyone's view.

Steve Walls is the key that ensures the show flows. As soon as he comes on the room lifts as the kids are set up to get involved again. One thing that has evolved with this production over the years is the transition from a purely kids friendly script to one which has more elements that will get the adults in the room chuckling away. Daniel Mawston's Patsy has a fair few of those moments this year, as does Smee's side kick Starkey (Luke Martin). 

At this point it is worth flagging up the development of the cast. Many of them have now done several shows, and of course Steve is in his 14th year, and they have grown into great performers. By sticking with this talented crew, the show has reaped the benefits in terms of improvement from year to year. Proud and Mawston in particular are very comfortable in their respective roles.

The role of Angela Darling is on a rotation of three very young actors. On press night we had Steve's daughter Charlotte Walls in this role. Her performance shows a talent for singing, acting and dancing that belies her age - she is only nine. Her confidence and stage craft at this stage in her career make her one to watch in the future. Who knows what the potential trajectory of her career could be. 

Then there is the technical side... The show feels like a bigger budget show compared to the relative price on the ticket. The costumes (James Maciver) are bright and sparkly, the sound (Rod Salmons) fills the room, the lighting (Dan Stratford) highlights what they want us to notice and hides what they don't - it is Peter Pan after all. Then at the end of act one the show pulls its metaphorical rabbit out of the hat. (no spoilers here!)

There is an effort to introduce the bench for the take off scene in a new year each year. This year it needed a good sport of an audience member to literally get involved and it is a brave moment when the audience are on stage without the use of a stooge, you never know how they'll behave and this puts pressure of the cast to get them involved without taking the foot off the gas.

Song wise - Darren Day is a noted west-end musical star who arrives straight off the back of appearing in Chicago. The numbers are spread around the cast and I particularly liked the inclusion of It Sucks To Be Me, adapted from Avenue Q. This was followed by Defying Gravity, which is currently doing the rounds in cinemas and proved to be popular with the audience.

The Saturday night show we attended ran at a pacey 2.5 hours, including interval. Director Paul Tate knows the mechanics of pantomimes well and he has ensured the magic of the experience is there. Each scene segued into the next before it had overstayed its welcome.

You'll appreciate that we really enjoyed the Whitley Bay panto this year. We laughed more in this show than any other so far. It hit the sweet spot in our opinion. You have passionate people both on the stage and behind the scenes - and it shows. 

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Tickets:

Booking Information: Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online from official supplier AXS at https://axs-uk.sjv.io/qzzDd5 or from the Box Office direct (open Monday – Friday 10am to 4pm, Saturday 10.30am to 2.30pm + 1 hour prior to any show).

Tickets start at £21 + fees for Family Special performances. Unless otherwise stated, concessions are Under 16’s and Over 60’s. Babes in arms: Under 18 months do not require a paid ticket. Group rate enquiries welcome and contact Playhouse direct for accessible seating options.

Performance Dates: Friday 6 December 2024 to Saturday January 4 2025, including a BSL Signed Relaxed Performance 4/01/25 at 1pm.

Duration: 2 hours 30 mins inc. interval.