SWIMMING up river after a sell-out run in Kensington Gardens, Peter Pan has waltzed into The O2 with the over confident swagger of a cat who’s got its cream double-whipped in Chelsea by virgin milk maids from Elysium.
Despite spectacular special effects and some of the plushest portable loos I have ever had a rest in, this production, which enjoyed a sell out summer run in the royal park, glosses over the play’s poignant themes of loss and brevity of life.
What is dished up on a shiny silver platter is a crowd-pleasing slice of family entertainment which will make you go oooh but not aaah.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the classic story - and after a myriad of panto versions who can blame you - Peter Pan tells the story of the Darling family children and their adventures with a mysterious boy who never grows up.
One starry night, Peter (Ciaran Kellgren) and his mischievous fairy Tinkerbell (Sandra Maturana) whisk Wendy, John and Michael away to the magical Neverland where they join the gang of Lost Boys.
Desperate for a bit of maternal love they make Wendy, played by Abby Ford, their adopted mother.
But when Peter’s nemesis Captain Hook (Jonathan Hyde) gets word of the new girl in town, and just like Smurfs there aren’t many, he and his darstadly band of pirates hatch a plan to kidnap her and make the little lady their mother.
The cast are solid enough and thankfully avoid slipping into pantomime caricatures.
But Hyde’s villainous Hook steals the show and his extensive experience as a stage actor shines through.
He upstages the young cast at every turn, bagging the best lines and wearing arguably the most flamboyant costume, with pink ruffles and a hook which looks more like a swish fashion accessory than an implement of death.
It is, of course, the ingenious set, lighting and special effects which is the show’s biggest draw.
The characters appear to fly effortlessly through the air, suspended above the stage by what look like coathangers.
And with the aid of impressive computer generated scenery, projected around the pavilion, the illusion of soaring over London’s rooftops and through the clouds of Neverland is beautifully pulled off.
Ironically, the effects also prove to be one of Peter Pan’s biggest downfalls, distracting the audience’s attention from any emotional depth in the story and failing to generate empathy in the fate of the characters.
Being on the direct flight path of planes flying in and out of London City Airport doesn’t exactly add to the magic either.
It was so noisy, at times Peter and the Lost Boys could have just as easily been taking off from Terminal Two rather than swooping out of the Darling’s bedroom window.
As Peter Pan would say, to die would be an awfully big adventure. It is just a shame we never get the chance to care.
Peter Pan. The O2, Greenwich. Until January 10. Tickets from £22.50. Concessions available. 0844 8472517 or visit visitlondon.com/peterpan
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