Hoff gets us hooked on panto frolics (From Gazette Series)

Review: Peter Pan at the Bristol Hippodrome

12:34pm Wednesday 14th December 2011 in Leisure By Jayne Bennett

THE BUZZ surrounding this year’s panto at the Bristol Hippodrome has been going on for months - and with good reason. The undisputed star of the show, David Hasselhoff, is something of a coup for the theatre, with hordes of fans coming from miles away to catch a glimpse of their favourite TV star.

And Hasselhoff is not only a big name - he’s a big man, whose reputation precedes him. From the moment he marched down the central aisle in his enormous wig, accosting those lucky enough to be on the ends with his hook, the Hoff dwarfed everyone else in the vicinity with his massive personality and presence.

And David certainly gives value for money, whether belting out songs such as Wind Beneath My Wings or shaking his tush on the poop deck to Right Said Fred, he was a regular presence - unlike other stars who seem loathed to set foot on stage. He really got into the spirit of the show, and displayed a real chemistry with Smee, played by West Country funny man Andy Ford, who had the Hippodrome audience in hysterics for the third year running - much to regular theatre goers’ delight.

It is a shame that the other characters did not really get a chance to properly shine, as they stepped in the shadow of a superstar, especially Peter Pan, played by Robert Rees, and Tiger Lily, played by Bethany Willetts, who both put in great performances, although local girl Janine Esther Cowell, who played Wendy, did rather stand out as the weakest link against the much younger John and Michael (who were both brilliant), and she struggled to stay in tune.

Better singing certainly came from ‘The Three Divas’ (Donna Hines, Lakesha Cammock and Linda John-Pierre), whose tight sequined costumes brought extra sparkle to the show, especially when they played the mermaids, hoisted high above Dead Man’s Rock.

This adaptation, by the brilliant Eric Potts, really did stay true to J.M. Barrie’s original tale, particularly in the first half, and the extraordinarily fine backdrops and ‘no expense spared’ costumes added to the feeling that we were witnessing something special.

The children loved this show. Audience interaction was good hearted and very, very loud - which is always a good sign.

Peter Pan is only running at the Bristol Hippodrome until January 8, so if you haven’t hooked a ticket yet, you’d better snap one up soon!

ENDS JB