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Michael Cox reviews an 'empty production' barely rescued by three performances but still haunted by the absence of a familiar face.
Sometimes when you’re a critic, you get accused of not liking something that the general public enjoys. So, I say this with hand on heart: I sincerely hope that those poor, unfortunate souls who forked out their hard-earned money to buy tickets for this year’s production of Peter Pan at the SECC took some enjoyment in what they saw, because what I witnessed was nothing short of a car crash.
Where to begin? The show pretty much gets it wrong on practically every level. The direction is limp. The design looks expensive (going by ticket prices, the producers certainly had cash to burn—literally) but mostly unimpressive—save a rather exciting crocodile that ends the first act. The choreography is ridiculously uninspired, the fights pedestrian and the special effects laughable. The adaptation used is barely recognisable from JM Barrie’s classic original and manages to snuff out any magic or coherence. Most of the cast members are horribly miscast and bring little sparkle to the production.
That includes headliner David Hasselhoff. Maybe ‘The Hoff’ can bring audiences into the theatre (thus giving producers more money to burn on their pyrotechnics), but most of his ‘acting’ is robotic and his singing is…well, I’m not too sure how to describe it, but it isn’t good.
Thank goodness then for three plucky heroes who make the production bearable. Michelle McManus is rather good as the Magical Mermaid. She sings well and brings much needed cheeky humour to the production. Also on fine form are the Krankies. They’re supposed to be playing Smee, but really they’re just their usual selves, and they bring forth their shtick with glee. The routines may be the same as in past years, but they still work a treat.
But there is a ghost who haunts this empty production, and it is the much-missed John Barrowman. The rapport he had with the Krankies and, more importantly, the audience was a seasonal treat. It’s bad enough he isn’t back—it’s worse that this shambolic production is what’s left of a legacy he and the Krankies had started six years ago.
Mistakes in productions are forgivable if the artistic intentions ring honest and true. Unfortunately, there is only one sound ringing at this show…the sound of overstuffed tills. If producers aren’t going to bother making a decent production next year, no matter who they cast, they should do audiences a favour and not bother.
Peter Pan performs at the SECC until January 3, 2016.
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