Peter Pan pantomime at Birmingham Hippodrome – review

Birmingham Hippodrome’s pantomime may be the last to open just before Christmas but it’s certainly not the least across the land. And this year it’s a real belter. Packed full of ‘wow’ moments, it looks and sounds fabulous with non-stop spectacle and laughs.

We’re only a few minutes into the show before the stage is filled with a giant crocodile, and I mean giant, who lunges into the audience, huge jaws snapping and eyes glowing. No wonder Captain Hook is afraid of this beast.

And this is just one of many showstoppers which also include flying cars, sea creatures and cartwheeling pirates. Many of the special effects and animatronics have been created by The Twins FX, who have worked on numerous Hippodrome pantos in the past and never fail to bring an extra layer of magic to the show.

Directed and produced by Michael Harrison and co-written by Harry Michaels and Matt Slack, this Peter Pan is based on the production which premiered at The London Palladium last year but has been re-written and updated to include lots of Brummie and topical references.

Slack plays Mr Smee with bucketloads of slapstick, calling on some old and new gags, doing a host of impersonations and generally mucking around. A couple of his more sexist jokes could have been left in the 1970s but, with this being his 11^th Birmingham panto, he generally knows what the audience wants and delivers.

Andrew Ryan returns to the Hippodrome for the eighth time as the dame who struts around the stage in the most fanciful of costumes, fluttering giant eyelashes and flirting with one unfortunate member of the audience who Slack reminds “don’t sit at the front in the panto!”

The show pays homage to Birmingham Hippodrome’s 125^th birthday this year with a lively routine by Slack and Ryan in which they name shows which have played the theatre at breakneck speed in a song routine.

This year’s panto feels much more balanced in terms of plot versus jokes and in the amount of stage time given to different performers – and it makes for a much stronger final product.

Brummie favourite Alison Hammond is back after last year’s season and is clearly loving every minute as the glamorous Magical Mermaid. She has great chemistry with Slack and the two bounce the laughs off each other.

Danny Mac is a dastardly Captain Hook who captures the spirit of the panto baddie perfectly. He’s evil but likeably so and while we boo him we can’t help but love him for his wickedness. It’s also a return for Mac who played a very different role as Prince Charming in 2017’s Cinderella and maybe it is due to the fact that all the lead actors are back on familiar territory that this year’s show feels like it’s already well established so early into the run.

Noah Harrison is full of energy and enthusiasm as Peter, Billie-Kay gives us fairy Tink whose jealousy at the budding friendship between Peter and Wendy leads her astray and Rhiannon Chesterman is the ever-sensible Wendy.

The performance brims with fantastic music and dancing with a talented ensemble working their way through countless costume changes and lots of high kicks in Karen Bruce’s challenging choreography.

Mark Walters’ designs are fabulously opulent, rich with colour and detail, while the costumes designed by Mike Coltman, Ron Briggs and Hugh Durrant are wonderfully imaginative and fun. The detail on costumes – which are occasionally on stage for just one number – is staggering and a feast for the eyes. And it’s all given a helping hand by Ben Cracknell’s colourful lighting.

As the Hippodrome celebrates a milestone 125^th anniversary at the heart of the city’s theatre life, it’s great to see its biggest show so vibrant and popular. Here’s to the next 125 years!