Harrow Arts Centre’s 2024 panto offering is a high-energy “what came next” story of Peter Pan and Captain Hook, leaning on the traditional storyline of the boy who won’t grow up to tell a story of family love, friendship, and second chances.
The production values are high overall; a cleverly deployed yet simple set, supported by well considered costume design, with foy for Peter to fly (!) and multiple pyrotechnics and confetti cannons at key moments, creating an air of circus-like excitement. The young audience were engaged throughout, and the script cleverly adjusted in time to the weaning attention spans of young audience members, with surprises and interaction at just the right moments.
The cast were evenly matched, with standout performances from Captain Hook (James Tobias Clifford), Silly Sammy (Emmett Carroll), and Sally Starkers (the hilarious dame, performed by Philip McParland). The chorus were well rehearsed on challenging choreography, and the young cast members rounding out the production were eager and skilled.
Music Direction and lighting were the only areas that lagged; despite clever muical choices and a talented group, a few song choices didn’t suit the range of actors (Peter Pan in particular) and despite the excitement of the foy, an over-eager fog machine and missed lighting design meant we hardly saw Peter flying.