CHURT

Churt Amateur Dramatic Society (CADS)

Review of CADS production of ‘Peter Pan’

If ever I need a quick lift in the gloom of January, a visit to Churt Village Hall to see the CADS’ pantomime is always the answer. This year, despite my being deeply sceptical as to how the nostalgic magic of Peter Pan could possibly be delivered through the traditional panto medium of thigh slapping and ‘behind yous’, CADS have triumphed. Peter and Chris Christopherson deserve huge praise for this production, which is slick, technically excellent and provides an evening of fantastic entertainment.

From the moment Tinkerbell (Bethany Lloyd Perks) came onto the stage, I was entranced. Bethany delivered the opening verse beautifully, and I was sorry we did not see her again. However, her alter ego, Tonkerbell (Nicola Raeside) more than made up for it. Her feisty and impetuous portrayal was delightful and when at the end, Peter returns her voice, stolen by Captain Hook – it was well worth the wait. What a voice! Nicola provided a superb finale to the show, and I look forward to seeing more of her in future CADS productions.

Of course there were all the old favourites. There is nothing like a Dame, and as ever Peter Christopherson as Mrs Darling pulled out all the stops, charming the men in the audience and lighting up the stage from the moment he came on. His comic timing and improvisation (especially when he lost his wig!) are always immaculate. Peter has truly mastered the not-easy art of being a Dame, and his performance gets bigger and better every year, as I am sure does his fan club!

Peter Pan was played by Cerys Traynor who did not disappoint. She gave a beautifully light performance with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, making Peter both charismatic and convincing. Her duet of ‘Me and My Shadow’ with Wendy, charmingly portrayed by Lisa Bailey, was refreshingly out of the saccharine mould of the traditional principal boy/girl duet and both have lovely voices.

Captain Hook’s entrance is always keenly awaited and James Woodley, a panto favourite, gave one of the most successful portrayals that I can remember. He rode the audience’s booing and hissing with superb aplomb; unfazed by what was occurring on stage or in the audience, and he contrived to make Captain Hook villainous, funny and likeable all at once. The thought put into this performance was obvious and it is perhaps a paradox to say it was almost too good for pantomime and yet at the same time was perfect for it.

If there was one real surprise, it was Chris Deacon’s performance as Smee. Not your traditional short dumpy interpretation, Chris developed the rather dopey pirate side-kick into a full pantomime comic role, his facial expressions spoke volumes and his timing was impeccable and he was ably accompanied by Ant Lloyd Perks as the arch-pirate Sharkey.

The supporting cast included a suave Crocodile played by David Forster, the Indian Chief and Princess (Richard Hales and Dawn Barrow) a studiously tedious Michael (Alice Cowan) and an array of talented youngsters as the Lost Boys, Junior Dancers and the Rat Chorus.

I really would love to mention everyone, as this was honestly one of the most even productions in terms of performance that I have seen at CADS. Everyone put their heart into it and delivered one hundred percent. From the inspirational concept of the glam blonde pirates (female!), and sexy Indian squaws, the excellently choreographed ‘Ratitude’ to the well-timed and very funny traditional slapstick between Riggng (Angela Traill) and Decking (Viv Raeside), it all just worked. Congratulations to all of you.

Finally, this review would not be complete without mention of the technical side of this production. The sets and the special effects were excellent. Fireworks, smoke, and Wendy’s house built in front of our eyes – awesome. Peter Christopherson’s production skills were to the fore and with a skilled technical crew, it was great to have some of the more ambitious effects of panto that one does not always expect on smaller scale productions.