Sparks were flying everywhere on November 5 as Bonfire night celebrations kicked in. Meanwhile, the theatrical equivalent of explosive fun and merriment arrived at Cardiff’s New Theatre as Peter Pan Goes Wrong took to the stage.
Following on from Mischief Theatre’s previous stage successes The Play That Goes Wrong and The Comedy About A Bank Robbery, Peter Pan Goes Wrong continues with a similar madcap, riotous style, but this time applied to a familiar tale.
The members of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society return to the stage with their take on JM Barrie’s classic tale. However, this performance of Peter Pan isn’t going to run smoothly as cast disputes, technical hitches and flying mishaps test the age-old saying “The show must go on…” to the absolute limit.
As we entered the auditorium, about 10 mins before the show was due to start, members of the cast and crew were already working on the set trying to restore power to light the stage. Gradually the cast and crew dissipate leaving Chris (Connor Crawford) and Robert (Oliver Stenton) to introduce the show they have directed/co-directed. As they introduced the show the house lights flickered, and this effect continued through the interval as well.
After several mis-starts, Katy Daghorn arrived on stage with a comedic over the top portrayal as Sandra/Wendy. This was followed by Ciaran Kellgren (Jonathan/Peter) haphazardly flying onto the stage, breaking the set as the technical team don’t quite manage to get him to the right places at the right time.
In the second act, the set continues to crumble, and the cast gradually get injured, enabling some of the supporting cast taking centre stage. Making her professional debut in the show, Phoebe Ellabani was outstanding playing 4 roles for Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, with many lightening quick changes and some amusingly not so quick… Another professional debutante, Ethan Moorhouse showed great versatility as Trevor the stage manager who is always on hand when something goes wrong.
As the hilarious show literally fell apart and everyone took their bows, it was nice to see the technical crew come on stage, as they were just as important as the cast.
Full of slapstick comedy and so many laugh out loud moments Peter Pan Goes Wrong is a wonderful show for the whole family. Peter Pan Goes Wrong continues at Cardiff’s New Theatre until Sunday November 10.