THEATRE REVIEW: Peter Pan - The Opera House, Blackpool.

Starting an 8 venue UK tour, this spectacle of a show had its press night this evening at Blackpool's Opera house. 

The show, which is not comedy play, not pantomime, and not circus, but a mash-up of all three, is the cumulation of a whole host of talent. There's pyrotechnics, fire-eating, aerial, flying, acrobatics, slapstick, and goodness knows what else thrown at this show during its 2 hour 15 minute running time. A huge screen at the rear of the stage has no shortage of bright CGI images throughout, giving us the set / location etc as we went along. Majority of the show's performers are trained in circus skills, and are more than happy to show off these skills, and ameliorating the chorus / ensemble are Laci and Klaudia Denvy and the Denvy Juniors, and Skyduo Eszter And Vivien. 

This is a production of 'Peter Pan' like no other. The story - thank goodness we all already know the story! - is given secondary importance (or just reinvented or ignored in places), as this is a spectacle. A feast for the senses. As if all the above weren't enough, heading the bill is pop icon Boy George trying his best to be evil and snarl at the children, as Captain Hook. This of course means that we were treated to him singing his two most famous hits this evening too; 'Karma Chameleon', and 'Do You Really Want To Hurt Me'. 

At each venue, the vocals are ameliorated by children and teenagers from a local stage school, and they also are given the chance to perform their own dance routine to at the start of the second act. The Blackpool run sees The Nicky Figgins Centre Stage Academy have their turn in the spotlight, and this evening they truly shone, their dancing, balancing, and acrobatics skills easily equalling the principals. 

The energy levels are constantly high, the jokes come thick and fast and are as corny as Kansas in August, [although several failed to land this evening], and the camaraderie and ensemble feel of the show is tangible. There were many ad libs and in-jokes this evening too, where they lost their place due to an ad-libbed prank, and had to find their way back. But there was order in the chaos, and the children did enjoy much of their antics, whilst the adults enjoyed watching Boy George, and star-in-the-making and sex symbol, Jordan Conway as Peter Pan himself. 

The set is sparse - limited mostly to CGI, which mostly steals the thunder of the performers, as we are drawn to watching these bright colourful images rather than the action and circus skills of the performers in front of it - which is a shame; but the pirate ship is impressive. The UV scene was a nice idea, and the boat on the water in this scene was excellent until the mechanism and handlers were seen when the disembodied head of a large crocodile passed behind them...!

If you are looking for a traditional panto, then this is not for you; if you want your children to be educated and fulfilled by a theatrical production, this is not for you, but if you want a laugh-a-second, high velocity, bright, slapstick spectacle, then you couldn't find anything finer!

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 26.10.23