STAGE REVIEW: Peter Pan - at the Festival Theatre, Malvern, from Wednesday, August 22 to Sunday, August 26, 2018.

NOT everything could ever hope to fit snugly and comfortably into the box in this over-crowded and over-long pantomime version of JM Barrie’s classic tale of the boy who refused to grow up.

Featuring a host of young performers from around the county, who had beaten off strong competition from scores of others, this production was never lacking in enthusiasm.

However, ABD’s ‘professional production’, never quite hit the spot. Far too jumbled with songs that came across as purely routine numbers and choreography which lacked subtlety and invention in erring towards simplicity.

Director/writer Anne Dalton had said she wanted to give so many local talented youngsters the opportunity of working with her company on this large scale production.

She added: “I don’t normally take so many into this production on tour but I was so spoilt for choice at audition I couldn’t resist!”

Unfortunately it was the wrong choice with too many, which at times saw the main cast and ensemble - Pirates, Indians, Dragonfiles, Dancers and the Lost Boys - having to jostle for stage space.

There were one or two innovative additions to the original tale with Dancing Planets, Water Sprites and Friendly Flames - and also a gossipy panto dame-like fluorescent feathered Neverbird (Bradley Bowckett).

This lurid coloured creature sets out to lead the audience through the story and to encourage their participation. Appealing to the youngsters to a degree but, sorry, August is far too early to have the mind switching to the panto season! And it’s constant, almost irritating interruptions, made me wonder just where that packet of stuffing had been stored!

Elsewhere Elliott Hanna is looking a touch too old and tall now for the part of Peter Pan, but is clearly a good mover having previously starred as Billy Elliott in the West End, and there are clear plus points with the singing of Georgia Chadwick as Wendy and Janet Cowley, who plays Mrs Darling and a couple of other roles.

David Thomas’ booming portrayal of Captain Hook also scored well. A rival perhaps for Brian Blessed when it comes to decibel levels… Meanwhile a beaming Callie Egan worked hard as one of the leading Pirates, Starkey, and 10-year-old local girl Chanel Fulton charmed as the mischievous fairy, Tinker Bell.

As for the whole production - shorten the scenes and cut the numbers for a duration that would be far more acceptable than the present length of almost three hours, including the interval. That might bring back the magic of Barrie's story.