We had a chance to fly off to Neverland during the Easter holidays and experience St. Helens Theatre Royal’s swashbuckling pantomime take on the beloved ‘Peter Pan.’ Following 2015’s smash-hit Easter panto ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Regal Entertainments stopped the show with their take on the classic adventure.
Starring local talent at its finest, Peter Pan enveloped the whole audience in a warm atmosphere and captured all in the guilt-free joy that panto is renowned for. Ray Quinn swoops in as the boy who never grew up, encapsulating everyone through his cheeky scouse charm and also through his impressive all-round flair when singing, dancing and acting. Liverpool songstress, Charlotte Gallagher, strikes the audience with an almighty voice and a wonderful performance as Tiger Lilly plus Radio City’s Claire Simmo also joined the cast as Quinn’s right-hand mischievous companion, Tinkerbell, ticking every box with a sprinkle of attitude and fairy-dust.
With plenty of moments for children to get involved in the magic and not to mention a few double-entendres (they make a panto, well, a panto!) Peter Pan boasted a perfect balance of child/adult directed content – perfect for the whole family! The comedy pairing of Liam Mellor as Smee (our favourite character!) and dame favourite Simon Foster as Mrs Smee, created an even more light-hearted atmosphere. The jesting chemistry between this unlikely duo made the performance evermore charming and only added further to the ambience only a panto can conjure.
With a talented cast composed of young and old, seamless technical performances and all-round guilt-free fun, Peter Pan was a treat for all. If you haven’t seen it yet get your tickets as it ends soon, you won’t regret it. We can’t wait for The Wizard of Oz in October to come to the St Helens Theatre Royal. With a similar cast to Peter Pan we know it will be a magical show.
www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com