J.M Barrie’s beloved tale of the boy who never grows up has been an iconic story for many generations, however, the modern twist on the tale of Peter Pan has been taking the nation by storm. Mischief Theatre’s ‘Peter Pan Goes Wrong’ is a side splitting comedy that follows Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’s production of ‘Peter Pan’. The classic story – with the addition of crashes, technical difficulties and near death experiences – is a whirlwind of laughter and entertainment that goes terribly wrong, but terribly right all at the same time.
The ensemble of actors absolutely ran themselves into the ground to perfect each step of the dance that needs to happen to execute a show like Peter Pan Goes Wrong. The performers from start to finish were all so on point and every contributed perfectly to the success of the show.
The role of Sandra was played by Ciara Morris. Sandra plays the role of Wendy Darling, she plays the role in an amped up way – over dramatising and being very melodramatic with her performance. This acting style had the audience in stitches with Morris nailing some physical comedy as Wendy. The behind the scenes antics that unveil as the play goes on gives Sandra some fun and dramatic energy to work with and Morris nails the character.
Theo Toksvig-Stewart plays the role of Max – who plays Michael Darling, MErmaid and the Crocodile. Max becomes the unsung crowd favourite and hero of the play and Toksvig-Stewart is excellent in portraying the emotional and underdog characteristics of the character. His comedic timing and emotional journey is both hilarious and heartwarming for the audience to witness.
Gareth Tempest as Jonathan – Peter Pan – gave everything that this role needed to be. His physical comedy and delivery of his lines had the viewers loving and then eventually hating him as the dramatics backstage started to unfold. Tempest was able to capture the audience on both sides of the coin and his arrogance and charm gave the character some good depth and a good journey. His stunt work with the fly cords was also excellent.
Matthew Howell as Robert – who was Nana the dog, Starkey and Peter’s shadow, as well as the assistant…sorry…co-director of Peter Pan – had the audience in the palm of his hand with his amazing delivery and persona. His ridiculous portrayal of each character has the energy to fill the building and is excellent from start to finish. Howell’s cried work with Stacey during the shows opening is fantastic – leading to the eventual development of the show becoming a “panto”.
Jack Michael Stacey as Chris – Mr Darling and Captain Hook, as well as the actual director of Peter Pan – is hysterical. The antics he has to go through from bell to bell is unbelievable and the torment keeps the audience in stitches throughout. His energy and comedic delivery catches the audience and sends them into hysterics every time. The crowd work from Stacey is next to none. Holding the crowd in the palm of his hand and creating some hilarious moments during the performance.
Clark Devlin was a pleasure as Dennis – playing John Darling, mermaid and Mr Smee. Dennis was fed his lines from the tech box into a set of headphones he wore during the show. This created some of the funniest moments in the show. The monotone delivery of his lines from Devlin added such a funny twist on the dialogue and the disruption of channels made for some hilarious dialogue.
Jamie Birkett played Annie – Mrs Darling, Lisa and Tinkerbell – and was excellent in each role. Her characteristics were fantastic and Birkett managed to create 3 completely different characters whilst constantly jumping between the 3 with consistent quick changes. Her comedic timing was perfect and she showcased some fantastic vocals as Mrs Darling also.
Jake Burgum played Stage manager Trevor. Burgum portrayed the role perfectly, having the audience on their toes anytime he entered into view as you knew something was either going wrong or about to. Then being drafted into the show as a character lended to some excellent comedy moments that were executed with ease.
Rosemarie Akwafo as Lucy – playing Tootles – had a significant role in the play as the designated punching bag. Akwafo nailed every element of the extremely nervous family member drafted into the performance. Her physical comedy was fantastic and whenever they appeared onstage you were just waiting for Lucy to have her unnecessary accident.
Jean-Luke Worrell played the role of Francis – Narrator and Cecco. Worrell has an unbelievable energy on stage and this lifted the moments of the narrator to a different level. Hilarious and entertaining are just 2 of the words that could explain Worrell’s performance – never mind a fantastic rendition of Big Spenders that had the audience dying and performing alongside him.
The real stars of the show were the technical team. Liam O’Carroll; Sophie Duffin, Joseph Brown, Will Darby, Zoe Leonard, Kirsty Robson, Alex Duckworth and Adam Scott all deserve their individual plaudits as the chaotic and down right crazy mistakes wouldn’t have been the same if this team didn’t execute them as perfectly and more importantly, as safely as they did. It was amazing to see them all get their own bows at the end of the show and the audience made sure to let them know how appreciated they were.
In conclusion, Peter Pan Goes Wrong is a hysterical, chaotic whirlwind of silliness that is great for all the family. Mischief have absolutely nailed another production and this one, is one that will be a sensational hit for years to come.
Get your tickets here – Peter Pan Goes Wrong Tickets | Comedy Plays Tours & Dates | ATG Tickets
Theatre Scotland 
Leave a comment