With that in mind, a stage version of Martel’s Booker Prize Winning novel would appear a natural progression. Sheffield Theatre’s production – in an adaptation by actress and playwright Lolita Chakrabarti – has been garlanded with awards since premiering in 2019 (and earlier this year, it opened on Broadway).

Life is divided into two distinct halves. In Act 1 we are introduced to Pi and his family, who own a small zoo in Pondicherry, India. Raised as Hindu, and a practicing vegetarian, the 14-year-old, ever curious Pi, investigates Christianity and Islam, and decides to become an adherent of all three – much to his parents’ dismay. Pi’s father teaches his children an important lesson: life is hard and sometimes we need to behave like animals, because it takes brutality to survive. A savagery clearly embodied in the zoo’s newest inhabitant, a fearsome Bengal Tiger called, Richard Parker (so called because of an admin error on the transfer docket).

In 1976, Indian PM Indira Gandhi declared a nationwide emergency, creating a state of social unrest which caused many to flee the country. Pi’s father decides to sell the zoo, and move everyone, animals included, to Canada. Passage is booked on a cargo ship, but tragedy soon strikes. During a violent storm, the ship sinks, and most of the passengers drown. Pi is the sole survivor, alone in a lifeboat, with four unexpected companions: a Zebra, Hyena, Orangutan, and the aforementioned, Richard Parker.

Yann Martel had one note to Chakrabarti for her adaptation; the animals need to be dangerous. Life isn’t a show for young children, and there is no attempt to anthropomorphise the creatures. The animals attack each other, and in one scene, we witness the Hyena violently chewing on the Zebra’s innards. The puppets themselves are things of wonder, complex, magical, and filled with character; hats off to Finn Caldwell and Nick Barnes for their work here (Caldwell is also credited as movement director).

Puppeteers perhaps don’t get enough credit; the team of Antony Antunes, Sebastian Goffin, Akash Heer, Romina Hytten, Katie Kennedy-Rose, Kate Rowsell, Peter Twose and Aizah Khan operate the Tiger head and body with sublime technique. But Life is one of those shows which dazzles on pretty much every level; the lighting design of Tim Lutkin and Tim Deiling adds rich, jaw dropping perspective during the ocean section. Composer Andrew T Mackay’s music is melodically gorgeous, something I could happily listen to at home.

The character of Pi is on stage throughout, and drives the entire show. ‘Understudy’ – like the word ‘amateur’ – is a word that has always carried a certain baggage, as though the second actor, patiently waiting in the wings, is somehow a lesser talent. Now it’s mostly banished, in favour of the more pleasing ‘alternate.’ Tonight, the role of Pi belongs to alternate Tanvi Virmani, and she is effortlessly up to the challenge – a winning combination of feistiness and vulnerability. The latter quality is readily apparent in the scenes where Pi is forced to abandon the principles of vegetarianism, and kill and eat a sea turtle (quietly heartbreaking to watch).

Life of Pi grips because it’s an adventure tale unlike anything else. Martel’s musings on God and religion are perhaps a case of preaching to the converted; those with a strong belief system will more than likely lap this up, whilst atheists will find these stretches plodding and tiresome. Which is not to diminish the transcendent flourishes conjured up by director Max Webster: Pi and Richard Parker, floating on a placid sea, and guided by the night stars, is an image which melts into the mind. And a moment that might give agnostics food for thought, as it evokes something almost holy.

One of the best productions I’ve seen in a long time, Life of Pi is unmissable theatre.

Life of Pi is at The Lowry, Salford from 5 December 2023 to 7 January 2024.

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The adventure starts from first entering the intimate Quays theatre with cast members pulling ropes of fabric across the audience and encouraging little ones to bang sticks or dance with the cast. This sets the scene for an energetic and interactive show, but once it starts, it’s clear this show is never going quite the way we expect.

The story is based on the 1902 children’s book, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum – better known for his classic, Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Like Oz, this tale is set is a fantasy land that has some link to reality, with the characters moving between their home in the magical Forest of Burzee and earth.

Claus straddles both lands after being found as a baby by wood nymph, Necile who brings him up as her own. But once Claus grows and learns of his human connection, he is curious to find out more. Even with a pet lion in tow, leaving the enchanted forest brings its dangers and Claus is shocked to discover that life on earth isn’t always as joyful as life with the fairies, knooks and ryls.

Generous-hearted Claus wants to make the world a better place, but the villainous Awgwas have other ideas. Claus must overcome these battles to bring the miracle of Christmas to children around the world.

Stewart J Charlesworth’s multi-layered set fills the whole stage like an adventure playground, while director, Kate Golledge incorporates shadow puppetry to add an extra dimension to the characters’ travels. But at the moment it feels like the cast is yet to be let loose with the show’s playfulness.

Although there are some tough issues raised in Simon Warne’s adaptation, there is still much room for fun that hopefully will come once the cast feels more at home with this brand new show. The music is beautifully sung, but the musicians are hidden back-stage and there are no instantly catchy tunes to leave you singing all the way home. That said, I don’t want to be all bah humbug about it because there are some lovely messages for children, not least that kindness and generosity are the best gifts you can give. It’s also very early in its first run so there is time for Santa to work his magic yet.

Claus The Musical is at The Lowry from 14 December 2022 to 8 January 2023.

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Less than a week after children all over the land have been going to school dressed as one of many of David Walliams’ characters for World Book Day 2022, this musical adaptation by Neal Foster of one of his early novels, Billionaire Boy, arrives at the Palace Theatre. The lead character here, Joe Spud (Matthew Gordon), would have been ideal for a last minute emergency costume because the 12-year-old is only ever seen dressed in a school uniform.

The uniform itself does change, because initially Joe attends Saint Cuthbert’s the most expensive school in the country, but given his father (Matthew Mellalieu) has earned his vast fortune by inventing Bum Fresh toilet tissue, Joe doesn’t fit in with the offspring of the landed gentry and is outcast for being from new money. With the children taking time out from their fox-hunting and tax-avoidance lessons to call him insulting names, such as ‘Bum Boy’, Joe wants to leave for the local comprehensive so he can find a friend. He does so rather quickly after bonding with Bob (Jake Lomas) when, as the two most overweight children in the year group, they trail in last in the cross country PE race. How they deal with bullies, school life, secrets and each other forms the main narrative and the themes of what money can or can not buy.

Gordon and Lomas both turn in vibrant yet sympathetic performances that come with a hint of desperation that have the crowd willing their friendship to succeed. The original songs by Jak Poore are performed with great enthusiasm by the whole cast. In particular, Emma Matthews provides an entertaining Mrs Trafe, the Dinner Lady serving up a vast list of gruesome school meals including snot macaroni and toenail ice-cream. There were also plenty of laughs of acknowledgement to the song made up of typical schoolteacher sayings like, ‘walk don’t run’.

Jacqueline Trousdale has designed an imaginative set made up of boxes and stacked toilet rolls that switches from the Bum Fresh Towers mansion, to the schools and the corner shop owned by optimistic Raj (Tuhin Chisti).

If you are familiar with any of Walliams work you will have a good idea of the juvenile toilet humour, stereotypes and child-friendly gross out gags that are littered throughout. First and foremost though, this is a show for children, the vast majority of whom will have enjoyed at least one of his books previously and will be well aware of what to expect. Judging by the kids reactions at the end, they thoroughly enjoyed themselves and go home feeling grateful that their favourite toy isn’t a rocket made of cardboard loo roll inserts.

Billionaire Boy is at The Palace Theatre, Manchester from 9-12 March 2022 and touring.

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Barb and Dolly bring the Cinderella story bang-up-to-date, blaming the media for their portrayal as evil caricatures and joking about Insta, Twitter and Love Island.
In this re-imagining of the story, Cinders is conspicuous by her absence from the hairdressers where she used to work with her two sisters before she ran off with the prince.

This time, the two sisters are the stars of the show, regaling us with tales of events on the night of the ball, the stresses and strains of running their own business, sibling rivalry and the rift with their little sister.

Lucy Rafton and Daisy Ann Fletcher are a great comedy duo who kept us laughing and were very convincing as Dolly the romantic and Barb the cynic – the chalk and cheese pair looking for their happy ever after.

Quite a few of the gags were aimed at the parents and older children so went over the heads of our six-year-old and his pals. But the littles loved the physical theatre and were particularly tickled by Daisy Ann Fletcher’s portrayal of the pompous, handsome prince, using only her acting skills and a black plastic hair comb masquerading as a moustache.

And we all loved the sparkly, light bedecked salon where the storytelling takes place, with witty songs and gorgeous harmonies bringing the show alive. Speaking of which, if you’re a fan of a good singalong, make sure you pick up a programme which has the lyrics of the show songs inside, including, Mariah’s Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You, a festive finale guaranteed to get you in the Christmas spirit as you prepare to head home after a great night out.

The Not So Ugly Sisters is at Waterside Arts, Sale from 24 November 2021 to 1 January 2022.

Postman Pat Exhibition at Waterside Arts:

If you’re planning a trip to the show it’s well worth going a little early so you can also check out the exhibition space which is currently home to sets from the much-loved Postman Pat series.

We had a great time marvelling at the sheer detail of the beautifully crafted scenes.
There’s so much to see, from Pat and his van, the lighthouse, town square and market to the children preparing for Halloween in school at the fictional village of Greendale where the series was set.

It was great fun spotting and pointing out the tiny props and really interesting to see some of the early storyboard plans. Even if you’ve no Postman Pat fans in your group, it’s still well worth a visit.

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The central character, Ben, is an 11 year-old boy who gets carted off to his grandmother’s house every Friday without fail so that his parents can go ballroom dancing. The problem is he finds it so boring and he’d much rather read his Plumbing Weekly magazines. Each week he has to endure all manner of cabbage inspired food and put up with the resultant flatulence from his Nan.

Things change when Ben follows the old lady one evening to discover her trying to steal some jewelry. Once he realizes he has a gangster for a granny, he is eager to spend more time with her, and join her in a heist.

Justin Davies gives an enthusiastic, energetic and very likeable performance as Ben, juggling the growing pains of being a good kid, trying to please his family but struggling to keep himself happy in the process. His doddery Granny is brought to life by Isabel Ford, speeding about on her mobility scooter and brilliantly acting out her greatest robberies.

The dancing parents are played by the bubbly Jess Nesling as Mum and Jason Furnival as Dad. Furnival also doubles as the Brummie busybody Mr Parker and revels in the role.

As is Walliams’ style, he is never one to stray too far from a stereotype and Irfan Damani plays Raj who fits the bill as the newsagent who sells out of date ice-creams. Damani deservedly gets many more laughs though as Strictly dancing star, Flavio who compares a dance competition.

Every last laugh is wrung out by the supporting cast and Paul Duckworth and Jemma Geanaus give bright performances and make the most of their limited time on stage.

The set has been brilliantly designed to fit the many different locations and props into it and the quick changes with the fitting soundtrack keep the action flowing. The pace is maintained throughout by Director Neal Foster who also adapted the book for the stage.

For all of the fart jokes, the friendship and love between Ben and his family result in a touching second act which left many in the audience in tears. There were plenty of giggles and dancing from the children in the auditorium who clearly loved the show. I won’t have been the only parent to have their child hand them the Billionaire Boy flyer on the way out, eager to see another of Walliams’ books brought to the stage when the company arrives at the Palace Theatre in March.

Gangsta Granny is at Manchester Opera House from 24-28 November 2021 and touring until summer 2022.

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Having been unable to stage this pantomime at Oldham Coliseum Theatre last year, the production team were clearly wanting to make up for lost time with the show and cast they have assembled. Making a welcome return to this year’s line-up are three familiar faces that make up the Twankee family. Richard J Fletcher, many-time Buttons-like performer but now top-class Dame, is Widow Twankee, Sam Glen is her cheery entrepreneur son, Wishee Washee and ever-improving Shorelle Hepkin as Aladdin.

Fletcher, Glen and Hepkin work great together but can also hold the audience when alone on stage.

Co-written by Oldham Dame past master Fine Time Fontayne with Director Chris Lawson, this version of Aladdin is rooted firmly within the East… East Manchester that is. The main Aladdin tale is there with the Princess Jasmine, lamp and the flying carpet still intact but the show is set in Oldham and the wilds of Belle Vue Funfair. The traditional baddie Abanazar has been replaced by Aunty Banazar, played with glee by Liz Carney who manages to get boos without petrifying the kids, even when singing Bon Jovi songs.

There are no blue genies either but there are a couple of actors who play dual roles of boys in blue and genies. Alex Phelps gives a charming display and performs the greatest stage exit you will see this Christmas as Spirit of the Ring. The Jinn of the Lamp (Mark Zayat) is vocally reminiscent of a James Corden character from an animated movie but also brings many laughs.

Shaun Hennessy provides a fun Emperor as father to Aladdin’s love interest, Princess Jasmine (Dora Rubinstein), who gets her own time to shine performing Head and Heart with the energetic backing dancers.

There is so much to enjoy in this traditional pantomime and all of the elements are there. The ghost scene always manages to raise the volume of the children in the crowd to ear-splitting levels. Widow Twankee’s outfits become more elaborate but reach a peak with the Billie Eilish green hair and dress combination. The audience participation is there all the way through and there isn’t a generation going who can’t join in with the Sweet Caroline sing-a-long. In fact, the music choices this year were excellent and spanned many decades and genres but remained upbeat, excluding any schmaltzy songs ensuring the show never slowed its pace. Extra marks must go to Dave Bintley, the Musical Director who matched the introduction of the flying carpet with Dua Lipa’s wonder song, “Levitating”.

As befits a pantomime including current affairs jokes, the pandemic did get a mention but was handled brilliantly by introducing it early but time boxing references to that one-minute slot.

The set design for the Coliseum pantomime is always bright and packed with additional visual gags and more adult references and this year is no exception. The Squidgey Games may be over for this year, but with shows like this, I’ll certainly be returning for Robin Hood in 2022.

Aladdin is at Oldham Coliseum from 13 November 2021 to 8 January 2022.

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The original story has been skilfully adapted by playwright Brian Hill in this spanking new stage musical. For those unfamiliar with the film, it’s the tale of eccentric misfit Eglantine Price, owner of a seaside house in England who has three orphaned children – Charlie, Carrie and Paul – foisted upon her in WW2. Initially, both parties view each other with wariness. But the children warm to Eglantine when they discover she is a trainee witch, enrolled in a correspondence course run by phony wizard, Emelius Browne. Eglantine informs Browne of her plan to find the magic words for a spell known as ‘Substitutiary Locomotion’, which brings inanimate objects to life, and will hopefully help the British war effort in defeating the Germans. What they need first is the powerful star of Astroroth, which can only be found in the distant, animal isle of Naboombu. How will they get there? A flying bed of course.

Neil Bartram has rearranged the original Sherman Brothers songs, opening them out, and giving them a bit of extra zip (whilst adding a few songs of his own). ‘A Step in the Right Direction’ is a highlight, accompanying Eglantine’s ham-fisted attempts at learning to fly on a broom. The musical jewel in the score, of course, is ‘The Beautiful Briny’, a lovely, woozy number which signals the group’s arrival in Naboombu: here Eglantine and Emelius waltz in a fishy, undersea bar. Director Candice Edwards and Jamie Harrison – responsible for set and illusion design – conjure real magic in scenes like this, cleverly mixing puppetry, movement and sumptuous lighting.

Conor O’Hara as Charlie Rawlins comes across as an all round good egg, and he’s given solid support by a rotating team of child actors in the roles of Carrie and Paul. It’s pot luck who you see at each performance so it’s only fair to mention everybody: Dexter Barry, Isabella Bucknell, Haydn Court, Sapphire Hagan, Jasper Hawes, Poppy Houghton, Evie Lightman and Aidan Oti.

Charles Brunton brings an impish yet haunted quality to Emelius, signalling the character’s sense of having missed out on love. What’s surprising about this show is that’s it’s romantic. How refreshing to see two older characters – both loners, both independent – starting to fall for each other. The burgeoning affection between Eglantine and Emelius is touching, though not without some bumps along the road. ‘I’ll only let you down’, says the latter, ashamed of his charlatan like past.

The world is filled with actors who work mostly on stage, and aren’t necessarily household names. That doesn’t mean they don’t have a following. Dianne Pilkington is clearly a triple threat, a performer who can do everything. As Eglantine, she is never less than fabulous, and it’s easy to imagine some people falling in love with the character, an Ever Ready battery of resilience and British pluck. Pilkington even brings a soupcon of prim sexiness to the role. I overheard two young men in the bar trying to figure out which hotel she was staying in. If the merchandise stall had carried an Eglantine Price action figure I’m sure they would have bought one (as would I).

It’s taken 50 years for Bedknobs and Broomsticks to reach the stage. Was it worth the wait? These days, every show gets a standing ovation on opening night but in this case, it was justified. Bedknobs and Broomsticks is something special.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks is at The Palace Theatre, Manchester from 19-24 October and then touring nationwide.

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Commissioned by The Bolton Octagon this production of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel is packed with original music, lyrics and choreography. As well as this, this adaptation manages to carefully tread the fine line of presenting a traditional story in a refreshing and inclusive way and does so without compromising its literary ethics.

The show starts with an instrumental seafaring shanti, this sets the scene and transports us back to 1762. Very quickly we’re introduced to the key characters of the piece: the drunken Billy Bones, who loses the treasure map that sparks the adventure; Jim Hawkins our frustrated protagonist of the performance; Hawkins’ mother who struggles to make ends meet at the Inn she runs; Squire Trelawney the bumbling expedition leader and the infamous Long John Silver the pirate hell bent on getting his hands on the map and ultimately the treasure it signifies.

Jim Hawkins (Ami Okumaru Jones) and Long John Silver (Jack Lord) are excellent counter points to one another. They have the most lines and stage time. They are both believable and engaging in equal measure. Okumaru Jones’ casting and performance is in keeping with the current zeitgeist – a female protagonist commanding a role traditionally given to males; we’re told her name is Jim. Jim Hawkins, if you blink, you’ll miss it; however, while the brain processes this information the plot races passed you.

Enter Jack Lord’s Long John Silver. Lord provides a solid weathered portrayal of an ageing pirate. He uses his skill and wits to try to stay one step ahead of everyone, this includes those he trusts and those he doesn’t. The cat and mouse game that ensues is well paced and provides ample opportunity for the songs of the piece to progress the plot.

Under Tim Jackson’s direction the remainder of the cast’s key players, Bauckham, Feare, Phoenix and Simon all play multiple parts. Spotting them post costume change is a game you can play should you be fortunate enough to see this production. The costumes change. Accents changes. Everything changes but the quality remains the same, the attention to detail here is impeccable.

The show also has three more secret weapons: the supporting child cast who are professional and deliver their lines (and songs) remarkably; the cast’s proficient use of instruments and the show’s clever humour. The references to ‘cheese’ and ‘treacle’ will leave you in stitches.

At this point, I would love to have laboured the fact that the songs and lyrics really worked but as they were original – I don’t know what they were called. What I can say is that the two that stood out for me were Long John Silver’s ‘Mind your Ps and Qs’ song; and Mrs Hawkins’ ‘Worse Things Happen at Sea’ – these are both catchy and funny.

The set design also deserves a mention – the bronze, rustic, offering cleverly transforms into an Inn, a Bristol port, the Hispaniola ship and the fated Treasure Island itself. In each incarnation the staging feels natural and you believe you’re actually there.

Treasure Island is a feel-good romp for all the family which delivers song, humour and buccaneering adventure for all kids no matter how old you are.

Treasure Island the Christmas show from Octagon Theatre, Bolton is at Premier Suite, University of Bolton Stadium from 5-28 December 2019.

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Who-ville is the fictional candy coloured town where even the inhabitants’ tights look like they’ve been pulled straight from a sweet jar. Indeed, it is so saccharine that the grumpy old Grinch can’t stomach watching the community celebrate another happy Christmas and sets about to destroy the fun by stealing the presents, the food and even the Christmas trees.

Why anyone would be so mean is beyond the imagination of the people of Who-ville. So, when little Cindy Lou finds him escaping up the chimney with their Christmas lights, she instantly believes his lie that he is trying to fix them. And here starts the melting of the Grinch’s icy cold heart and with it any bah humbug sentiments in the audience too.

The story is told through the eyes of Mr Grinch’s one trust old-pal – his dog, Max. Griff Rhys Jones plays the old dog recollecting Christmas past, while Matt Terry takes on the young enthusiastic pup who is reluctantly dragged along on Mr Grinch’s mean Christmas-ruining schemes.

John Lee Beatty’s cartoon-inspired sets are wonderful to look at, appearing straight off the pages of a Dr Seuss book. But there is a lot of scene-setting in the first act and the songs sounding quite samey do little to lift this. As my 7-year-old theatre buddy summed it up at the interval, ‘it’s almost good’.

What we needed was a share of the sugar high from our candy cane friends the Whos, and in the second act that is just what we get. Edward Baker-Duly is excellent as the mean old Grinch, but never does he shine more than in the scenes with young Isla Gie as Cindy Lou (one of four young actors to take on the role during the run).

The scenes that follow are both hilarious and truly heart-warming. After the slow-ish start we are now hooked so that when the Grinch’s heart finally grows he has the whole theatre with him shouting, ‘Merry Christmas’. Snow falls from the roof of the auditorium and it feels magical. The ‘almost good’ verdict from young Zach has turned to a top of the lungs cheer. Who loves Christmas at The Lowry – we do!

Dr Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical is at The Lowry from 12 December to 5 January 2019.

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“Don’t talk daft!” comes the abrupt Lancastrian rebuke from Christina’s Meehan’s mermaid princess. Quite right, too!

The Blackpool Grand is a quite beautiful Victorian theatre and, if you spot anything in its season schedule you even half fancy, I recommend you buy a ticket and get along.

This year’s pantomime is, as you might expect, a traditional offering (too traditional for some tastes; though it could be argued, this is Blackpool, not Manchester or London).

Director, Anthony Williams, will have his work cut out in the next few days; not because there’s anything fundamentally wrong with the production, more because the show is running 30 to 45 minutes too long (although, to be fair, as 10pm loomed, it was the adults in the crowd, not the children, who seemed to be flagging).

Once it tightens up – as it will, given time to bed-in and with a few well-judged edits – UK Productions’s Peter Pan is sure of a happy run in its ornately decorated setting. The principles all put in an honest shift, and there are some nice touches – Tinkerbell on skates, Peter soaring off into the gods, rather than just hovering above the stage.

The excellent professional dancers are ably supported by young apprentices. The little girls are graceful, co-ordinated and impressively synchronised. The Lost Boys’ dancing is rather more laid back when it comes to form and timing, but I guess that’s what comes of not having a mother?

It would be nice, in 2019, to encounter an adaptation that finds some way to challenge the assumptions of the original. Could there be more to Wendy than her nascent maternal instincts (even her father seems to value her mostly for being ‘beautiful’)? This side of the Atlantic we may feel less concerned about cartoonish representations of ‘red indians’, but there is an opportunity for rethinking such tropes. I know, I know, next thing I’ll be ranting about the Darling children being ‘privileged posh kids with First World problems’… I’ll leave it there.

Time was, if you needed help with a little job – trimming your hedge or getting your granny safely across a busy road – you could turn to a boy scout. Happily, those days are not quite lost to the past. The scouts’ dinky female counterparts, the brownies, unintentionally come to the rescue of this long-in-the-tooth reviewer. Having warmed-up pre-show by singing along to Wham’s “Last Christmas”, the brownie “choir” (in the rows behind me) save me any confusion between songs that have been mega hits and songs specially written for the production. Not only do they know the famous ones, they know all the words and they sing along with gusto. Just so you’re in no doubt, this is not a complaint. Pantomime is an audition participation art form, and the brownies are out to participate to the max!

As Smee, Grand veteran, Steve Royle, carries the main burden of the production – a quipping compere whose job is to overload children an adults with corny (and often risqué) gags.

“Some of these are for a select group in the audience,” he confesses with a twinkle. Bums, burps and fart jokes are packed in, alongside innuendo and impressively “dreadful” puns. Royle does a great job, but could be a mite gentler on some of the littles in the audience (small children can be very sensitive, especially when they don’t know why hundreds of people are laughing at them).

Alongside Royle’s Smee, former Emmerdale star, Tom Lister has a ball as Captain Hook (doubling, by tradition, as Mr Darling), although he could perhaps stir a little more cheesy ham into the villainous recipe without becoming too scary. Lister and Royle clearly love the chance to release their inner Brian May and Freddie Mercury (the Queen repertoire – and there’s a lot of it – I don’t need the Brownie Choir’s help with).

Some reckon that the secret of a good panto script is like the secret of a good bridal outfit – something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. The grandparents in the crowd might recognise a nifty recycling of Abbott and Costello’s “Hu’s on first base” routine.

Ruth Betteridge’s Wendy has a solid, dependable charm, and Jack Heasman’s Peter is daring and athletic. Having flown all the way to the gods, Peter almost misses his finale, due to a hoist malfunction (thank goodness the techies take no chance – I really don’t want to be reporting on PP’s Icharus moment!). Hats off to the singing, dancing and skating Tinkerbell (Rachel Grundy) – she gives a rather lovely rendition of what I have since learned is Lewis Capaldi’s song, “Someone You Loved” (ably supported all the way, by her unofficial backing group: the Brownie Choir).

A long night, in which the parents have a bit of fun and the children seem to have a lot of it. What more can you ask of a panto?

As well as Tie-Your-Granny-in-a-Knot badges, I wonder if Brownies can win a Panto Participation Patch? I’ll leave that one with you, Brown Owl.

Peter Pan is at The Grand Theatre, Blackpool from 10 December 2019 to 5 January 2020.

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