REVIEW: Peter Pan (Richmond)

In the past ten years, the world of British Pantomime has seen an upheaval in its production methodology thanks to the rise of the QDOS and First Family Entertainment companies (the latter being a joint between the Ambassador Theatre Group and LiveNation.) Both companies are responsible for mass produced pantos, chock full of celebrities - both American and British - and and in the case of the former, special effects (last year’s QDOS Aladdin featured a 3D holographic genie) and, sadly, a rather generic product.

For foreign readers, I should explain a bit about panto season: A panto’s lifespan is merely six to eight weeks, and productions almost always sell out, which is why a number of smaller regional companies use their annual production as a key fundraiser. That said, most modern pantomimes are remarkably high end productions featuring as many set changes as a West End musical and possibly even more costumes so getting one up is frighteningly expensive and because these are family shows and frequently populated by school groups, ticket prices need to stay low. For performers, panto is absolute hell: the performance schedule ranges from 12 to 16 performances a week.

Needless to say, there’s a lot of money flying around and for a commercial producer, it’s an absolutely daunting proposition. Enter QDOS and FFE who have an advantage that independent companies, such as the Hackney Empire don’t: scale. This year, for example, FFE are putting on 12 shows, and QDOS are putting on even more. Of them, most will in some way be recycled - the sets and costumes go into storage come February and go off to a new city in December, sometimes with the prior year’s script (albeit with a few updates to reflect local interests and current affairs.) In other words, the manufacturing costs go down (65% of the QDOS budget goes to production payroll) and if a theatre in Glasgow gets last year’s show from Brighton, well, it’s new to them.

Anyways, this leads us to this year’s Peter Pan at the Richmond Theatre. While amusing, March’s disastrous run of the Spanish Peter Pan El Musical did little to endear me to the story, which I loved growing up (thanks to the cartoon on Fox.) Unfortunately, there was little new about this more traditional production. In this case, Peter Pan is in a similar place to last year’s Cinderella at the Old Vic, as it straddles the line between family play and proper panto. Bonnie Langford is lovely and something of an institution in the title role (one she’s been playing on and off for at least twenty years) but somebody forgot to direct in at least one mandatory pantomime thigh-slap amidst some impressive aerials. Simon Callow tried as Captain Hook, but the role’s true menace down - a child behind me was cheering him on and Callow had to demand boos from the audience in the first act. Tony Rudd was fun in the role of bumbling Boson Smee, but Samantha Gifford was rather bland as Wendy (not really her fault - the role exists to stamp down everybody else’s fun.) The singalong at the end was also a standby ("What do you do with a drunken sailor?") and audience members were left without a lyric sheet (I confess that I don't know the middle part) and it didn't matter anyways because the sound in the upper circle was awful.

This was my first time at one of the major companies’ shows, and I’ll be entirely honest: I only went because I wanted to see Bonnie Langford. I paid about £10 more for my seat in the upper circle than I did for centre stalls at Mother Goose in Hackney (factoring in booking fee and transit to Zone 4,) and received a show that was professional in every way, but ultimately lacking in excitement and Panto Power.

And I have another Peter coming up after Christmas as well. Because there’s no way I’m missing Brian Blessed as Captain Hook.

Where: Richmond Theatre, Richmond
When: Until 11 Jan., M, W-Sa @ 14:00 and 19:00, Su @ 13:30 and 17:30
How Much: £20-£27
Concessions: Family tickets and concessions available on a limited basis.
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RZ Unofficial “Worth Paying”: £15. It wasn’t bad, but wasn’t great.
RZ Other Notes: While the upper circle lacks leg room, the rake is fantastic and I had a clear view of everything on stage except for about 20 seconds where the Darling children fly to the absolute top of the space and their heads were missing. I didn’t get to check out the first circle or the stalls, but I’d avoid any rear section for this show.

Also, I really wish they weren’t selling all sorts of spinning toys with flashing lights and loud motors. Sadly these sold in abundance and it looked like every child in the audience had one - I think I saw more of these than interval ice creams.

REVIEW: "Peter Pan - El Musical"

(Apologies for the poor quality photo...the flier got rather beaten up in the RZ's pocket and he does not have the best lighting options.)

First and foremost, the RZ wishes to mention that he supports the Musicians Union vs. the producers of the West End run of Peter Pan - El Musical. There are no live musicians playing at Peter Pan, and while such practice isn’t uncommon in Spain (and 100% the norm in France where the only live music at the musicals is in the foyer), it’s not standard here in England and the Garrick is under contract to the MU.

That said, the RZ got his tickets for free this time and had few qualms about taking advantage of seeing a production he wouldn’t have been so inclined to pay for with this knowledge.

So how does this continental take on a very English classic hold up?

First and foremost, this Peter Pan is a visually attractive show. The few sets (a pair of doubling constructions), are pleasantly cartoony, especially the London bedroom where our story begins, with books piled high and one of those artificial fires you see at novelty shops. The lighting is a jewel box of colour, from the opening laser show to the final battle, and on the whole is very pretty. Asthmatics should approach with caution, though, as stage fog mania is in full force at the Garrick. On the downside, there is a dearth of flying scenes - once we reach Neverwhere there is, in fact, no flight (and the scene where they depart features painfully visible wires).

The score, despite not being live, is also quite pleasant - lots of fun, energetic theatre-pop that would make for a fun cast recording (samples are on the website), but traditionalists and fans of the Charlap and Leigh version will take issue. Unfortunately, the music does suffer from pre-recording, coming across as narrow and compressed through the speakers. In line with first preview standard, the mics were turned up too loud on some performers, and none of the vocals (which were live) ever truly blended with the scoring underneath. In what may be a first, group numbers were more evenly balanced than solos - everybody gets equally overblown in the RZ's experience. And there is, in fact, one bit of live music as the residents of Neverland’s Indian Village (in all its pre-PC glory) bang black-lit drumsticks in a percussive dance scene.

Another aural annoyance could be written off as a first preview glitch, but the RZ expects the problem to continue: Cristina Fargas wears a lovely pair of earrings as the narrator and Mrs. Darling, but they’re the dangly sort that tapped her headset mic every time she moved her head. As such, her rather nice voice was met with dread after the first number, and the problem remained all night (though she was noticeably fumbling with the earring late in the second act to try and stop it). The RZ hopes that she gets permission to go on without the dreadful things.

Miguel Antelo is an impish Peter, as childish as expected but lacking a certain charm - there’s never a doubt that Isabel Malavia’s Wendy will leave Neverland at the end (it is, after all, the preferable alternative to doing laundry for and minding a dozen Lost Boys). Miguel Gamero is maniacally over the top as Captain Hook, and Pedro Espadas lands the laughs as straight man Smee. Imma Fernández plays Lost Boy Tootles as a loveable scamp with a big belty voice, and she gets a worthy number late in the first act.

So, what we have here is a (mostly) pretty, (generally) inoffensive, and (overall) well played take on a perennial favourite. The question left to address is whether or not this Peter Pan really is something for London Families sick of Disney to enjoy in the West End.

In the RZ’s opinion? Probably not, and it’s for the show’s selling point as much as any of the other issues responsible: without a reminder of the plot details beforehand, young children will have difficulty following the details of a surtitled production - especially one as shoddily titled as this one.

Again, the RZ hopes that he merely had to suffer first preview tech issues, but the surtitle display was insanely problematic and unprofessional. Lines were oversimplified or frequently missing in part or whole (a scene where Captain Hook verbally spars with his pirates went entirely untranslated), and when there was a translation it ran anywhere from one to multiple lines behind what was happening on stage. There’s enough visual clues to piece together the metaplot, but the details are lost.

Also, as previously mentioned, this Peter Pan does maintain the Native American stereotypes of Barrie’s original, and the more culturally sensitive may have issues with it. That said, the RZ grew up before the politically correct movement and enjoyed the relevant scenes as a product of their era (as did his companion, a Bangalore native).

When all is said and done, though, Peter Pan - El Musical is a pantomime without the callbacks (although the infamous “save Tinkerbell” scene is preserved) or the anarchy (the women playing Lost Boys provide the cross-dressing). It’s bright, simple and fun, yet in the end it's an entirely forgettable evening. There are worse options available, but there are others which are far, far better.

Where: Garrick Theatre
When: Until 27 April. M, W-Sa @ 19:30, W/Sa @ 15:00, Su @ 16:00
How Much: £20-£45
Concessions: Registered Spanish students can advance book for £30. Best available day seats for other students and seniors for £20.
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RZ Unofficial “Worth Paying”: £12.50. No live music shifts the scale to 50% of top ticket at the high end of the scale. This is a fun but mediocre show.
RZ Other Notes: Patrons sitting in the front stalls should bring earplugs, though he has been told that levels are better in the circles. If Peter Pan sells well in spite of its problems, perhaps we could get surtitled Elisabeth when the new German tour comes to an end...or maybe hell will freeze over first.