Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tickets and more information: https://www.londonboxoffice.co.uk/peter-pan-tickets
Booking until: 27th October 2019
Run time: 2hr 30 mins.
Production Photos by: Steve Tanner

Opening the brand spanking new theatre down the road from Westfield, is Sally Cookson’s wonderful and imaginative production of Peter Pan. After previous runs at the National Theatre and the Bristol Old Vic, the story about the boy who never grew up and the Darling children remains just as delightful and entertaining as it was when I saw it in 2016.

Leading the cast as Peter Pan in this production is John Pfumojena, who brings a strong stage presence to the title character. Not only does he perfectly convey the fun, adventurous side of Peter but he also isn’t afraid to dive into the sadness that underlies. He is perfectly matched by Daisy Maywood as Wendy, who shines incredibly bright in this production, portraying Wendy as a strong-willed leader with a huge heart. In a twist from most Peter Pan productions, Captain Hook is portrayed in a deliciously evil manner by Kelly Price, who also doubles as Mrs Darling. This remains to be a smart move by director Sally Cookson, as it only further deepens Peter’s hatred of mothers, having been abandoned by his own. The entire ensemble are fantastic constantly moving between playing members of The Lost Boys to pirates to mermaids and more, with a stand out performance from Shiv Rabheru as a brilliant Tinkerbell.

The set design by Michael Vale is ever-changing and transitions from the Darling’s house to Neverland and beyond are visually impressive, sometimes with extravagant set pieces and yet sometimes with simplicity. The flying is incredibly impressive in this production, using the entirety of the 800 seat theatre, making the audience feel involved on this journey.

It appears to be a yearly tradition for me to visit a production of Peter Pan, having seen productions at the Pleasance Theatre and the Park Theatre in previous years, but Sally Cookson’s production is by far the best, treading the line between incredibly joyous and moving, making us all feel young at heart.

Until next time,