Peter Pan Panto 2021/2022

Event Reviews

• Lucy

  Outstanding performances all round!
  The cast, band and whole crew put on a brilliant Panto full of laughs and entertainment. Thank you for brightening up the year.

• Cath

  Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. The staff as we entered were friendly and helpful. We sat right at the back at the top. Could see most of what was going on unless at the very front of the stage. Most other seats when booked were gone. When we got there quite a number of seats empty and the row infront of us but due to circumstances it’s understandable, but we didn’t want to move incase. The panto had me and the 2 kids laughing so much. The cast were brilliant. Beautiful singing voices, jokes, keeping adults and kids amused. Ad lib was fab and funny too. Scenery, costumes, the band, dancers all deserve a huge pat on the back. It was brilliant being back to some normality . Thank you x

• Jenny

  Brilliant panto. The cast have a great time and so did we. Great comedy, singing, story brought up to date and some very funny topical jokes.

• Bill

  From my very young grandkids, to my Mum, who is 90, it was and has been each time excellent entertainment. The cast are very committed to the task superbly lead each time by Mark James

• Ali

  Outstanding performaces from everyone , best panto ive ever seen, musically supurb , thought i was in the west end . Congratulations to everyone involved !!!

• Michelle Russell

  Great panto really worth watching whole family loved it

• Louise Jones

  Brilliant, first panto I've taken my 3 half year old grandson to, he loved it so did I, tinkerbell amazing voice, so glad we went

• The View From The Stalls

  Great entertainment for kids and adults alike!

  Much to the obvious delight of the audience and cast alike, Malvern Theatre's panto season is finally underway and runs through until January 2nd.

  Pantos are always re-inventing themselves by updating the gags and references but this is a little different. This is not Peter Pan as we know it. This is The further Adventures of Peter Pan - the Return of Captain Hook. For this takes place many years later - Wendy is now a 104 year-old, so it is down to her great, great grand-daughter Emily to get involved - with Peter himself, still the same as he obviously never grows up! - in the discovery that Captain Hook is still very much alive and all that entails….

  That little change aside, it is panto as we all expect. The villain of the piece is still Hook, played this year by Emmerdale's Tom Lister (back in the role for which he was once named Best Villain - not a bad achievement given how many there are!) who had the audience booing every time he came on but often with a smile on his face due to various "wardrobe malfunctions" (accidental? scripted? who knows? who cares? they were hilarious!). Peter Pan is played by Art Attack's Lloyd Warbley who brought the necessary boyish charm to the part. And bringing up the rear (ooer!) is Malvern panto stalwart Mark James, thankfully back doing what he does best, engaging with the kids with his catchphrase but here he seems to have had a promotion for he has now achieved the heights of being Captain Smee - not that he lasts long in the position as it is Hook's intention to take him down, followed by Peter. Mark starts by doing what is essentially a bit of stand-up and very funny it is too, regardless of how old you are.

  Modern technology gets a look in too as Emily Darling (Jenny Huxley-Golden) is initially glued to her i-phone, much to the consternation of her mother (Nathalie Hollingworth), but this ultimately helps them track down Hook by using GPS (Global Pirate Search of course, silly!) and everyone's favourite (!) buffoon, Boris, was rightly the butt of a few jokes too. Fortunately for everyone involved, the buffoon has not yet banned pantos...

  There are some great dance routines in the show and the ever-popular Nitwits, the pirate crew, are there providing extra fun and entertainment, especially the skilful and energetic sequence in the second half showing off their acrobatic abilities. The show's special effects are impressive, including obviously a number of flying sequences involving Peter, Emily or, at the end, both.

  Every panto this year will have certain elements missing from it, namely having kids being called up to sing or chat and who will inevitably upstage Mark James, nor is he able to meet the kids for photos after the show as he usually does but the fact that there is an assembled cast of talented actors putting on a fun show speaks volumes at the current time. Although it's masks on this year, hopefully they won't be next year when it will be the turn of Beauty and the Beast to thrill and charm audiences from December 8th.

• Richard Edmonds

  This year old affections and expectations go out of the window---this new take on
  J.M.Barrie's beloved tale of the boy who refused to grow up puts us strictly into the here and now.
  Wendy is 90, her time is strictly in a long ago Never Never land, what we get is her descendant,
  Emily Darling ( neatly played by Jenny Huxley-Golden) in beach wear, hot pants, sneakers and
  bare midriff. This is a no nonsense street-wise little cookie with her mobile phone at the ready
  to advise her when needed.
  It would appear that Captain Hook ( the confident, mildly posh, ready-for-anything Tom Lister)
  successfully evaded being eaten alive by the crocodile and has survived on an island somewhere,
  awaiting a come-back into the 21st century. How Cook has managed to save his wardrobe is a mystery,
  but this is panto and so anything goes.
  But the captain does get one of the best lines of the evening. It goes like this: "You're late,"
  says Smee ( the indefatigable, cheerfully comical, Mark James who virtually carries the whole panto on his more than capable shoulders) "where have you been?"
  "I was at a party with BoJo at Number Ten", says Hook, with a knowing look, and consequently brought the house down.
  Tiger Lily (here just known as "Mermaid) comes beforeus in early middle-age with emerald green plaits and a Blackpool accent --she is played with a certain abandon by Natalie Hollingworth. Ms Hollingworth appears with a little more restraint as Mrs Darling.
  In a production where eccentricities are part of the fun, it comes as no surprise to find Tinker Bell arriving on roller skates in a puff of stage smoke, while Lloyd Warbey's Peter Pan lifts off comfortably from time to time.
  A tumbling speciality act shoots up in the air adroitly at one point and lends a touch colour to Captain Hook's foredeck.
  But all these things aside, I must congratulate this likeable young (mostly) company on their rapidity of motion, and their sense of excitement as they gave us this far-fetched version of a time-honoured story.
  They all had one splendid trait, they gave this panto spirit, they were always on their toes and they danced with a smile, particularly Ben Tanner, who would fit comfortably into either of the Royal Ballet companies.
  As a last word I would suggest that the off-stage flying technicians keep control of their flying ropes, they were much in evidence on the first night

• Victoria Cullen

  Amazing….. I’ve been to many pantos but this has now taken top spot! Literally belly laughed the whole way through! I’m so glad panto is back….. massive well done to all the cast! If I could go again tomorrow I would!

• Gill Harrison

  Thoroughly enjoyed it as always. Mark James is a treasure. Every member of the cast was first class. Just booked for 2022 covid willing

• Mandy Box

  Absolutely brilliant,I haven’t laughed so much in a long time,tears were rolling down my cheeks,well done to all involved,can’t wait for next year.

• Lydia Brown

  Me and my husband went to see Peter Pan with our two children (3 & 5 years old) and I can honestly say from the moment we sat down we were in stitches. What a fantastic story line and improvisation from the cast. From hilarious moments of Captain Hook loosing his pretend leg we were falling about laughing with how he handled the situation with such Witt. Thank you so much we were all throughly entertained. The children absolutely loved it especially my 5 year daughter joining in with all the famous panto sayings. Cannot recommend Peter Pan enough.

• Jeanette O’Malley

  Our family outing to the panto on 11/12/2021was amazing we had a member of the family who used to live in South Africa who had never been to a panto before but throughly enjoyed it and is looking forward to next years panto , loving all the cast especially Mark James merry Xmas to you all xx

• Paul Hodgkiss

  Really enjoyable family panto, enough in there to keep the adults chuckling while getting the kids involved- great job

• Jo Howl

  What a fabulous production. Well worth going. Thought it was very funny. A real feel good for Christmas.

• Mrs B

  Our Primary children attended a performance on Wednesday. Many were nervous as they had never been to a panto before. However, I had no need to worry. All of the staff, volunteers and actors were brilliant. It has been the topic of conversation for all the children and they want to go again next year. Oh yes they do!

• Maxime Hine

  Just home from seeing Peter Pan which we’d booked for last year after seeing Aladdin in 2019. Absolutely brilliant cast and stage settings. Made even more special by the fantastic Mark James. Well done to everyone involved.

• Denise Young

  A fabulous performance and lovely theatre. Book now and support our theatres!

• Kate Muse

  Fantastic production. Plenty to keep young children and adults alike entertained. It was really funny throughout, the improvisation was spot on and really made us chuckle. Lots of interaction to get the children involved. My four year old daughter was enthralled throughout.

• Mark Farmer

  An amazing performance, loved by all the family. It was great to be back at the theatre and have so much fun.

• Sue Green

  We missed the pantomime last year so the joy of this years was greatly anticipated and it did not fail us! A wonderful performance yet again by Mark James (Smee) joined by an equally fabulous Captain Hook (Tom Lister) who had adults and children laughing. The whole cast are delightful with all the best that Panto brings acrobatics, dancing, singing, wonderful scenery and lots and lots of ‘he’s behind you’ and laughter. Thank you from my whole family ?

• Susie

  What a fantastic evening! Going to the panto is a tradition in our family but I can honestly say that this is one of the best we have attended over the years. Tom Lister as Hook was absolutely brilliant, engaged fantastically with the audience, and was a master of the witty aside, while Mark James as Smee was hilarious. We laughed constantly throughout and loved it all - huge congratulations to the actors, dancers, band and production crew on a wonderful and memorable evening. Jon Monie’s script was, as ever, a work of brilliance. And please, please bring Mr Lister back next year; he and Mr James are the perfect panto combo.

• Susie

  We saw this pantomime yesterday with our daughter, husband and 3 granddaughters. It was absolutely brilliant from start to finish! Tom Lister, as Captain Hook was amazing, really phenomenal! Just so funny and so clever with his words from the script and ‘off script’. He and Mark James together were hilarious. Natural comedians. Rebecca Stenhouse, as Tinkerbell, was also excellent. The whole show flowed so well and we loved every minute. The best pantomime we’ve ever been to. Huge congratulations to cast and crew! Fantastic!

• Sheila

  So good to be back at Malvern to see the pantomime. Brought all the family - 12 of us. What a fantastic afternoon we had today (28th Dec 21). It was a wonderful performance by all; so colourful, great music, dance & special effects, very funny for all and superb acting. Totally entertaining.
  We felt perfectly safe and comfortable and the service, as usual, was first class.
  Many thanks once again and a Happy New Year to all at The Malvern Theatre.

• L B

  Absolutely amazing! This was our first family panto experience and we will definitely be back next year. Thoroughly enjoyable.

• Robin

  Welcome return what a cracking night after all the covid doom and gloom worth a look if you fancy a good evening thank you malvern see you next Xmas

• Sharron

  Absolutely brilliant show. Really funny. Well done

• Robert

  Went on Thursday 23rd and I’m still enjoying it four days after.

• Amanda

  We have been to the Panto at Malvern for the last 10 years (with the obvious exception of last year) and I have to say this was the best Panto we have seen. Mark James is amazing as always - topical jokes aimed at both adults and children. We were all also very impressed by Tom Lister. We have seen a number of famous people undertaking roles in Panto, but he is by far the best we have seen. He fully embraced the role and everyone on stage looked like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. I can’t wait to see Beauty and the Beast - we have already booked our tickets!

• Nette

  What an absolute joy!!! Wonderful funny family entertainment. Thank you to the whole team for bringing so many laughs and smiles to us all

• Evelyn

  Absolutely brilliant really enjoyed it

• Jim

  Absolutely brilliant panto. Loved every minute.

• Sue

  What a fabulous time had by all the family, both adults & children. So funny from start to finish. Congratulations to all the cast & crew. Just brilliant.

• Anthea

  Can't come up with enough superlatives in praise of another brilliant panto. The whole cast were excellent with special praise going to Mark James and Tom Lister. A fantastic evenings entertainment much needed in these present times.

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