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Peter Pan Goes Wrong brings silliness and slapstick to one of the most famous stories out there, and you can catch it in Manchester on a UK tour.
Mischief Theatre have been around for well over a decade and in that time have become well respected creators of all thing’s comedy. From ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ to their newest creation, ‘Mind Mangler’, they keep going from strength to strength.
And Peter Pan Goes Wrong is another foolish string to their bow. BUY TICKETS HERE.
Don’t forget to read my top 10 shows to see in Manchester in 2024!
Cornley Polytechnic Presents
This really is a play within a play. An ambitious amateur cast from Cornley Polytechnic are sorely out of their depths. Their productions are always memorable due to catastrophic on-stage failures. And this time they are making a mess of the J.M Barrie favourite, Peter Pan.
From a furious director to forgotten lines and saucy relationships to (literally) shocking accidents, this really is a car crash. But remember, it’s all on purpose! It’s peak absurdity and you need to tuck yourself in for a Neverland like never before.
Top tips: Get to the auditorium early to experience the pre event chaos. And buy a programme because you might find it surprising!
When what goes wrong goes right
I loved the twist on Dennis (CLARK DEVLIN) and his poor memory. They upgraded him to a headset, which led to a lot of confusion. Tuning into the radio and private conversations made his commitment to verbatim a problem. In more audio disasters, the audition tapes mistaken as sound effects added top notch cringe worthy moments.
The Narrator (JEAN-LUKE WORRELL) was an especially fresh ingredient to this Mischief concoction, nicely adding his flamboyancy, sparkle and boyband tribute act to the mix. And as with every Cornley show, the Director’s (JACK MICHAEL STACEY) breakdown and hatred for the audience was eye watering.
Robert (MATTHEW HOWELL) was a ridiculous highlight as Peter Pan’s shadow, Sandra’s (CIARA MORRIS) overacting armography slayed and Annie’s (JAMIE BIRKETT) quick changes and noisy nursery rhyme were terrific.
We need a chance to chuckle
Peter Pan Goes Wrong settled on the more childish side of their repertoire. Understandably so, given the number of children in the audience. But I think there was scope to push the naughty adult humour. These moments got the biggest laughs.
The cast were incredibly talented but admittedly a couple of gags dragged on for too long. The performers were fast, funny and fantastically choreographed. Not an easy feat with some complicated sequences, especially the finale with a rapidly rotating stage. It really was a test of endurance. Bravo!
Even though I am a Mischief fan who can predict the formula to the chaos, it is still a joy to experience. There were people in the audience in fits of giggles, almost rolling over in hysterics. So, there is no denying this show is funny as hell! Especially for newbies to their gig.
You’d be a fool to miss it to be honest. We need a chance to chuckle more than ever, right?
Playing at Manchester Opera House until Sunday 31 March. Tickets from £13 (plus transaction fee).
Image credit: Pamela Raith Photography