For many years one of the highlights of the London pantomime season has been ‘Peter Pan,’ but this week’s production of Wendy and Peter Pan, by the Phoenix Youth Theatre was far more challenging.

In taking on the Royal Shakespeare Company’s version the company’s Director, Sarah O’Neill raised the bar for her young cast. Far removed from panto, it is more a fantasy drama, presenting challenges in staging; from the children’s bedroom, to Neverland and the pirate ship.

As with previous PYT productions creative sound effects helped to establish changes of mood and location.

The flying sequences were brilliantly achieved by clever lighting through the theatre’s newly acquired gauze. Huge challenges for the backstage team but clever costuming also contributed, as in Peter’s first appearance trying to find his shadow, (black from head to toe, mirroring Peter’s every movement); from the Edwardian elegance of the parents to the flamboyant swashbuckling style of a superb Captain Hook played by Dan Canham.

The show belonged to Sarah’s young cast. They delivered their lines with faultless assurance and I must mention a few. Lucy Roberts, such an accomplished young actress playing the mother, Mrs Darling, a role she took on at less than four weeks notice, then switching character to double as Tiger Lily. The fairy Tink, an hilarious characterisation by Lily Hampson, straight out of Coronation Street. The audience loved her. Is Lily from the Forest? – hard to believe. Rochdale for me! Peter Pan superbly played by Eben Harris. Eben has everything, pace, agility, stage persona, clear diction. Eben simply was Peter Pan.

The scenes when the cast of pirates and ‘lost boys’ filled the stage was suberbly managed. And so we come to the final scenes. The reconciliation of Mr and Mrs Darling, played with such maturity by Lucy Roberts and Ollie O’Neill; and the touching reunion between Wendy (the delightful Maggie Hearne who also took on the role at four week’s notice) and her mother, with Peter hovering wistful and unseen beyond the window.

The audience applauded and cheered; two curtain calls were demanded. In the foyer as they left some of the audience were seen weeping, so emotional was the climax. ‘A wonderful show’ they said. Phoenix Youth Theatre continues to go from strength to strength.

Brian Jackson