Peter Pan, pantomime review: The Capitol, Horsham, until January 5

Peter Pan is another enchanting family show from director and producer Nick Mowat, with superb musical direction from Joseph Church and top notch choreography by Jonathan Mawson.

It’s especially impressive when you consider just how difficult it can be to adapt J.M. Barrie’s classic tale into a pantomime. After all, this is a tightly structured and well-known story with lots of iconic moments to include. Peter Pan losing his shadow, the kids flying to Neverland, meeting the mermaids, rescuing Tiger Lily, ‘I do believe in fairies’, and Captain Hook’s final encounter with the crocodile – it’s all here in a production that moves like a racehorse.

But fear not, all the traditional panto elements are present too. They don’t appear much during the opening scene – despite the excellent medley of ‘Who Will Buy’ (from Oliver) and ‘We Are Family’ by Sister Sledge – but as soon as we’re in Neverland they’re used as well and as often as possible.

There’s the usual ‘oh yes I am/ oh no you’re not’ jokes, plus a spooky ‘it’s behind you’ scene where the characters conveniently stumble into the only haunted part of Neverland. The kids’ response to this, as expected, is wild.

There’s also a ridiculous rendition of The 12 Days of Christmas, complete with malfunctioning (and even misbehaving) props. This has the audience in hysterics and one has to wonder whether the backstage team has been tampering with the items to catch the performers off guard. Surely they wouldn’t do that?

Peter Pan has some enjoyably modern elements too, like the slick use of film projection to depict the children’s flight and introduction to Neverland. But this is still combined with the practical effect of having the actors suspended on wires with a smoke machine going beneath. And despite catching a glimpse of a CGI crocodile in one of these film clips, the rest of the production features a proper performer in a suit that gives us the right combination of scary and funny. Purists will be pleased to know that a suit is also used for the adorable dog Nana.

Radio presenter Nicola Hume plays a bigger part in this year’s show – three in fact. She’s Mrs Darling, Ethel the Mermaid and Big Chief Chillaxin’Cow, all very different roles that Nicola injects with different kinds of energy. The best is arguably the gobby Ethel who reels off a series of terrible fish puns when she’s not riding around on a self-balancing scooter.

Tinkerbell, this time, is played by a guy, Freddie Hill, who comes across like a childishly aloof pop star. Wearing a sparkling silver suit, a winged backpack and some circular sunglasses, he’s the result of some unconventional creative choices but it all works rather well.

Anthony Sahota is much more conventional as our hero, a perfect panto Peter who bounds about the stage like an eternal ten-year-old and engages with the young audience successfully. He also wields his wooden dagger with gusto in some thrilling duels with Captain Hook.

The villain, played by Nicholas Collier, revels in the boos and hisses, swaggering across the stage to hard rock music and making mean-spirited remarks about the viewers and his own crew.

Interestingly, the comic relief characters are on the bad guy’s side this year, with the wonderful Hywel Dowsell as Mrs Smee and the exuberant James Fletcher as her son Mini Smee. But, it’s clear that they’re just goodies who fell in with the wrong crowd and their dim-witted mistakes and routines make them a real highlight of the show. Hywel in particular lights up every scene he’s in, embracing the traditional mannerisms of a pantomime Dame but also being unafraid of the more modern parts of the show, like when he performs a rap, albeit in a Welsh accent.

Hywel’s verbal dexterity is matched (and arguably beaten) at one point by James Fletcher who recites a tongue-twisting piece about his pirate buddies – Bumpy, Chumpy, Grumpy and Trump (Anton Fosh). That last pirate sports a strange hairstyle and prattles on endlessly about how he’s number one. Even fans of The Donald would admit that it’s a spot-on impression.

Rebecca Lafferty is a very likeable Wendy with a fantastic singing voice that brings the house down in the big musical numbers. Her tender duet with Peter is probably the sweetest moment of the show too.

This evening’s performance features Oscar Ward-Dutton as John Darling and Dexter Lamley-Grinstead as his brother Michael, who both handle the singing and acting demands very well.

There’s also some first-rate dancing from dance captain Yamit Salazar and the athletic ensemble – Anton Fosh, James Brice and Finlay Gordan – as well as some fine work from the Lost Boys and Girls and other secondary performers.

Overall, Peter Pan is a high-flying extravaganza that the whole family should adore. It’s colourful, cartoonish and fast-paced with moments of surprising elegance and a genuinely witty sense of humour, all brought to life by a talented and enthusiastic cast.