Peter Pan: A Pantomime Adventure – Greenwich Theatre, London

In a panto season that’s dominated by commercial chains rotating and recycling scripts around multiple venues, there’s always something refreshing about a show that’s crafted by, and for, one specific theatre.

That’s always the case with Greenwich Theatre. Writer Anthony Spargo is now on his fourth show as a writer, and his twelfth as a performer. Peter Pan: A Pantomime Adventure is loosely based on J.M. Barrie’s original work, of course, but is very much a sequel in which Wendy Darling’s great-granddaughter (Nikita Johal), also called Wendy, is whisked off to Neverland by Samuel Bailey’s Peter, who still has not aged.

As with many sequels, there are familiar beats to be had. Olivia Williamson’s Tinkerbell is, as is usual, not best pleased to have her place in Peter’s attentions usurped by the newcomer. The Lost Boys remain, too (a hard-working ensemble of four, whose quick changes also see them play everything from sailors to mermaids). And of course, Captain Hook is still kicking around.

But that is where the story tries to find something new within the Neverland framework. Hook is growing older and becoming more frustrated that his nemesis remains the Boy Who Never Grew Up, so he embarks on a quest to find the Elixir of Life and a similar means of defeating time.

In truth, no panto ever really relies on the plot, but a strong one is necessary to weave the various strands of stand-up, musical theatre and silliness together. Greenwich’s script does that well. Johal and Bailey are great performers, tackling songs culled from decades of pop, musical director Steve Markwick’s three-piece band tackling everything from Springsteen and Rose Royce to Sabrina Carpenter.

But while Wendy and Peter’s segments are musical delights, the real comedy comes with Spargo’s Hook and Louise Cielecki’s Smee. Spargo’s grasp of what is necessary for great panto is evident with the routines he has written for himself, from his ventriloquism act with his parrot (sadly discarded halfway through Act I) to a series of increasingly risqué puns that start in the field of double entendres and gradually become more and more singular as the evening wears on. It’s all very end-of-the-pier sauciness that will hopefully fly over young audience members’ heads while making grown-ups gasp at the audacity.

As the plot continues – including betrayal by Tinkerbell and a threat to her life that can only be resolved by applause – the quest to find the elixir involves multiple Indiana Jones-style escapades, including spherical boulders careening over the audience’s heads, and a room full of goblets that mirrors a similar scene from The Last Crusade. In an effort to borrow from the best, Spargo also lifts Danny Kaye’s “vessel with the pestle” patter routine from The Court Jester.

While it’s all great fun throughout, that does come at the expense of the titular character. Bailey delivers an excellent rendition of a dimple-faced eternal youngster, but oftentimes feels like a tertiary character in his own story. When Hook, Wendy and Smee are so well-drawn and dominant, it feels a shame that the same can’t be said of Peter Pan himself.

But that aside, Greenwich’s panto ticks all the boxes of what people expect from a traditional panto. And its message of how growing older doesn’t mean one has to grow up is perfect for the season.

Runs until 11 January 2026