Oh, what a pantomime Peter Pan is!

Oh, what a pantomime! The festive season is here, well, almost, and this season Janice Honeyman’s Peter Pan makes a return to the Joburg Theatre after an eight-year break.

But it’s an upgraded version, it is exceptionally entertaining and for two- and a-bit hours the cast reels in its audience for a momentary lapse of worries.

From the moment that it’s curtain’s up, the show takes its audience on a roller-coaster ride through Honeyman’s interpretation of JM Barrie’s classic tale of the boy who never ages, Wendy, mom, the two little boet’s and of course, the dreaded Captain Hook. There is not a moment’s instance during the show where the action misses a beat, or when there’s evenopportunity for a yawn. Because your gaze is nailed to the stage.

Star performances

In the lead, as Peter Pan, is Sandi Dlangalala. It’s his first Honeyman panto and he pulls of the role magically. Dlangalala is a powerful performer, and his presence fills every corner of the stage as he effortlessly becomes Pan. He plays to the audience, and the on-stage chemistry between him and fellow cast members is visibly delightful. He’s an ability to match physical expression to dialogue, and to deliver both in full sync, adds to a powerful debut.

You cannot miss the fact that the cast are having fun on stage; it’s a party, and everyone’s
invited.

As Tinkerbell, Peter Pan’s sidekick, another debutante. Virtuous Kandemiri shines brightly as Tinkerbell. She’s funny, physical and hits the right notes with Tinkerbell stepping into the twenty first century as a blend between a Kardashian, a Beyonce and what you’d imagine what Tinkerbell could be like as an Instagram or Tik Tok influencer.

ALSO READ: Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ wins Song of the Year after 35 years since its release

Energetic entertainment

Peter Pan is a singing, dancing, swashbuckling serving of amnesia. It’s easy to forget life’s woes when you’re this wowed.

Costuming is superb and the sets are imaginative. But it’s the lighting that revs up the show at this year’s panto. It’s an additional cast member and enhances the journey tenfold, manages the mood and injects bursts of energy into the production.

Captain Hook is played by pantomime veteran Ben Vos who has earned naledi awards for each of his performances in previous shows. He drives a good measure of the humour in the production alongside Dame Clementina Coconut, the segue between sets and the Oliver Stone-like Sideshow Bob to the rest of the story.

But, in this case, David Arnold Johnson, who dons the curlers, rip-roars through hilarity and does not play second fiddle at all.
Johnson is excellent, his quips and one-liners as cheesy as you’d expect from a panto with the body language and character play down to a tee.

Enchanting performances

Smee, Captain Hook’s sidekick at large, is played by Michael Richard. His voice, enough to get every fibre of your being to stand to attention, and that’s before he sings. Richard knows how to hold an audience, how to play with them, and he does it effortlessly. So too does the enchanting Kiruna-Lind Devar as Wendy.

The supporting cast is just as good. All putting in solid performances without skipping a beat.

It’s a show for the whole family and adult jokes and one-liners have been well placed and designed to wash easily over younger members of the audience. I took my three- and five-year-olds to see the show, and while I was somewhat concerned that the two-and-a-half-hour extravaganza might be too much for them, they wanted more as we left the theatre.
They’re still sword fighting as Captain Hook and Peter Pan, days after the performance, and keep asking when they can go to theatre, again, to see Peter Pan, again.

Peter Pan is that kind of show. It’s moreish. It’s fun, it’s a whoa and a wow. Simply wonderful and should not be missed by anyone.

NOW READ: WATCH: ‘R33m for this ad?’ Mzansi reacts to ‘Come to SA’ with Trevor Noah … and those rhinos