REVIEW: Peter Pan Goes Wrong at Mayflower Theatre

Mischief return to The Mayflower with a perfect rendition of Peter Pan. Well, when its meant to all go wrong I’d count that as perfect. Mischief (‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ & ‘The Goes Wrong Show’) have taken their successful comedy on the road again and have landed in Southampton. This is an extremely clever take on a story that we all know and love, and is rightly a great laugh for all ages. The comedy is silly, slapstick, and absurd – even for people who think they have a ‘higher-brow’ sense of humour, they’ll have a smile on their face throughout. Peter Pan is a story that dates over a century old, that has been retold countless times in countless different ways – most notably as a pantomime…       Oh no it hasn’t!        Oh Yes it has!

I apologise…       Oh no he does-

Carrying on, the way in which writers ‘Henry Lewis’, ‘Jonathon Sawyer’ and ‘Henry Shields’ have told this one, is unlike any of the others! As J M Barrie (Peter Pan creator) said, “[Peter Pan is] ostensibly a holiday entertainment for children but really a play for grown-up people”. A statement ‘Peter Pan Goes Wrong’ solidifies. 

I have mentioned how Mischief retell the story in a way we’ve never seen before. That’s not strictly 100% true. The Peter Pan aspect of the play is the exact same story that we all know. It’s the rest of the story around Peter Pan that’s the clever part. We basically follow the members of Cornley Drama Society in their yearly performance which this year happens to be, you guessed it, Peter Pan. So what we’re watching is essentially a group of actors, acting as actors who have got roles in their societies Peter Pan play – but as the name suggest, nothing quite goes to plan. And the things you think would go to plan, still don’t go to plan. 

One thing that I really loved about this play is the theming and attention to detail. Not only in the design aspect of things (which we’ll come onto) but in the general feel of the theatre and making you feel a part of the story. As the audience, we are just another character in the narrative, but not in a pantomime-y way (well not for all of it anyway). As people are getting to their seats in the auditorium, you can see people on stage fixing set and lights etc who we presume are the stage managers. Things start to get chaotic and we then see some characters and the presumed ‘stage managers’ start mingling with the crowd, as well as some of the other actors. The amount of mayhem that this causes feels like your head is constantly on a swivel, looking at all the different things that are taking place all before the show has even ‘started’. It’s such a refreshing way to help build the mood of the play, almost starting as they mean to go on. Outstanding!

The whole cast are also fantastic. I don’t think there is one performance that can really be singled out, as it felt like we were laughing at every other line of dialogue. If not at the dialogue or its delivery, then at something that was being done in the background instead. Just amazing! It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a WHOLE theatre erupt in giggles, let alone multiple times. I also just wanted to acknowledge how hard and well-polished a job these actors are doing. You may think, “It’s meant to go wrong, it doesn’t matter if somebody trips up on their lines. They can just make it up, we’d never know the difference.” And you’d be half right in thinking that. We would never know if something were to ‘go wrong’ and the actors do ad-lib. However, for things to ‘go wrong’ so smoothly, everybody’s timing, positioning, cues, and so much more all have to be perfect. There’s so much to remember and so much that could go drastically wrong if any of these things are slightly off. ‘Peter Pan Goes Wrong’ is an intricate well oiled machine, that couldn’t work properly without it’s superbly talented cast and crew all doing their bit. 

Technically, you can also see why this play has been to the highest heights of the West End, Broadway and even TV. The set is so impressive and actually ingenious. Like all major Broadway shows, there’s a revolving stage depicting different scenes as the play progresses. There’s also so many moving parts to the set, most of which play a gag role (or setting up for one at least). With the set being so intricate it once again means there’s a lot capable of going wrong, so all the actors (and real stage crew) all have to be on their A-game. The lights again aren’t super intricate, but they do play a very integral role for certain jokes, and just the story in general. The stage has to be lit like its a local play, but the effects used for when things go wrong is brilliant. I personally loved the ‘power surge’ that was happening throughout the whole theatre at the start and in the interval as a result of what had happened on stage. Also the use of blacklight was genius and so effective! 

As for sound and music, it’s another person like all of the backstage crew, that had to be 100% tuned in to the show. There are again, multiple audio gags throughout the play that sometimes cue dialogue or get cued from dialogue. There are also a couple of musical numbers in the show, which I think add a little bit of a shift when the ongoing jokes could be starting to drag a little bit. On this note, a quick shoutout to Jamie Birkett, who played the role of ‘Annie’, because what an incredible voice! I also mentioned earlier about how Mischief had gone above and beyond in their theming, and this may be a review first for me because I need to mention their programme. Usually with programmes you get them to get a little bit of history on the show, a word for the director/writer and then to see who the cast and crew is. This programme, again immerses you into their world and further brings the audience into the story. The first half of the programme is actually set up like it’s a programme for Cornley Youth Theatres production, with ads and games and talking to the actors (the characters actors). It’s just like reading a joke book and I’m so glad I took the time to read through it, because there’s even more laughs you wouldn’t want to miss. Such an amazing touch!

I saw the version of ‘Peter Pan Goes Wrong’ that aired on BBC one back in 2016 on New Years Eve, but I’m so happy that I’ve now seen it live too. Even though there were a couple of jokes that I remember, the situational comedy behind a show like this, and the atmospheric extras of actually being there are what make it that much better. From the audience, you can share an energy with the actors that you just can’t at home, meaning we both thrive off of each other which makes for a much more enjoyable experience. If you’re in the market for some light hearted, stomach aching laughs, you definitely won’t want to miss out on this one. It’s easy to see why this show is so successful and as it continues on its UK tour with a stop in the West End over Christmas, I wish everybody involved the very best of luck.