Panto 2007 - Peter Pan

• Dates: Friday 14 December 2007 – Saturday 19 January 2008
• Performances: times vary, please check with Box Office 01752 267 222
• Tickets: £8 (restricted view) - £20.50 discounts and concessions are available

From Plymouth to Neverland!

One of musical theatre's leading lights, Paul Nicholas, will take on the role of Captain Hook in this year's swashbuckling spectacular pantomime, PETER PAN , at the Theatre Royal Plymouth.

Paul, who last performed at the Theatre Royal in Jekyll & Hyde, is pantomime's perfect Captain Hook. Thwarting his every dastardly move will be Kerris Peeling in the role of Peter Pan and the hilarious rising comedy star, Matt Slack, as Smee.

Children's favourite, Emu, will create mayhem with his new partner, Toby Hull (son of Rod Hull). Toby Hull and Emu (who can be seen together in their new television programme later this year) play part of Captain Hook's pirate gang, along with the world famous stunt troupe, The Acromaniacs.

The enchanting tale of the boy ‘who never grew up' will be brought magically to life from page to stage by the fabulous cast, stunning sets and costumes, plus lots of comedy.

Staged by the same team that presented last year's record-breaking pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, PETER PAN promises to have the Theatre Royal's hallmark of quality and value for money entertainment for all the family.

With a record number of seats already sold in advance for the production, it's never too early to book your seats for the Theatre Royal's Christmas show! PETER PAN runs from Friday 14th December 2007 to Saturday 19th January 2008 .

This year, the Theatre Royal is delighted to announce that Wrigley will be sponsoring the Christmas pantomime through its Hubba Bubba brand. The Wrigley Company has been a corporate memberof the Theatre Royal Plymouth for a number of years.

Managing Director for The Wrigley Company UK, Gharry Eccles commented: “The annual Christmas panto is a key event in the Theatre Royal Plymouth calendar and it is where many young people experience live performance for the first time. Wrigley is pleased to be sponsoring this year's panto which I am sure will be a fun and memorable performance for all involved.”

The story of Peter Pan is about a boy who never wants to grow up. He lives in Neverland with the Lost Boys who fell out of their prams when young. But he comes to listen outside the nursery window when bed-time stories are being told to Wendy, John and Michael Darling, so that he can repeat them to the Lost Boys.

One night, Peter flies into the nursery to search for his shadow. Wendy sews it on for him and then Peter teaches all three children to fly and takes them to Neverland.

But Peter's fairy friend Tinkerbell is jealous of Wendy. Flying ahead, she tells the Lost Boys that Peter wants them to shoot down the ‘Wendy Bird'.

When Peter discovers Wendy lying hurt on the ground, he orders a little house to be built around her. She recovers and they ask her to be mother to them all, showing her their secret underground home.

They go swimming in the Mermaids Lagoon and the Pirates appear with their captive, Tiger Lily, daughter of the Indian Chief. Peter tricks them into letting her go before the fearsome Captain Hook arrives.

Peter and his friends return to their underground home but Hook tricks them into revealing their secret hide-out and the Pirates capture everyone but Peter. Hook poisons Peter's medicine, but Tinkerbell swallows it to stop Peter taking it. As her light starts to fade she tells him the only way to save her life is for all the children in the world to declare they believe in fairies by clapping their hands.

“Do you believe in fairies?” Peter cries out desperately and from all over the world – including the audience – there comes the sound of clapping.

Tinkerbell recovers and Peter flies to rescue his friend who is now on board the pirate ship. There is a great battle in which Peter and the boys defeat the Pirates and Hook falls overboard.

Wendy and her brothers leave Neverland and fly home with Peter and the Lost Boys. The Darlings agree to adopt the Lost Boys.

Peter flies back with Tinkerbell to Neverland after Mrs Darling has promised that Wendy shall visit him every year.

Paul Nicholas

Paul Nicholas became a household favourite with his role as Vince in the BAFTA award-winning BBC television series Just Good Friends ” and for LWT's major drama Bust, for which he was nominated Best Actor.

His theatrical success began in 1969 in the original London production of Hair. Following his lead roles in Jesus Christ Superstar and Grease, he was invited to play at the Young Vic in several productions including Much Ado About Nothing, Crete and Sergeant Pepper. A season with the Prospect Theatre Company in their production Pilgrim was followed by two plays at the Royal court The Innocent Bystanders and Richard O'Brien's T-Zee.

In 1979 Paul went to live in the USA for a year, returning to London to create the role of Rum Tum Tugger in Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats. He subsequently played the title role in Sir Tim Rice's musical Blondel and followed this with Charlie Girl at the Victoria Palace Theatre. He appeared as the Pirate King in the highly successful production of The Pirates of Penzance at the Manchester Opera House. This was followed by a successful season at the London Palladium. Paul starred as Buttons in the Wimbledon Theatre production of Cinderella over Christmas 1984 and as Prince Charming in the record-breaking 1985-6 season of the same pantomime at the London Palladium.

Other theatre credits include; King Arthur in Camelot, The Dark Side; The Mysterious Mr Love , Catch Me If You Can with Christopher Eggleston, Sidney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities, Pirates of Penzance, John Smith in Run For Your Wife, Run For Your Wife Again, Dr Dolittle, Snakes and Ladders, Fiddler On The Roof, Mixed Feelings, Stage Struck and Schwartz Stories .

 Aside from Just Good Friends, Paul's television work includes Season of the Witch, Early Struggles , Two Up Two Down (all BBC), Chips (MGMNBC), The Lady Killers (Granada), The Boys From Ipanema (ATV), A Little Rococo (Yorkshire Television), Doubting Thomas - a musical TVS, Close To Home (LWT), Sunburn , Burnside, Heartbeat, Doctors, Holby City, and numerous appearances including four Royal Variety Performances.

In 2006 he was delighted to take part in Sports Relief , a series which was part of the Comic Relief effort to raise money for charities in Africa and the UK, where he learned to show jump for charity. The show aired on BBC.

His major film credits include Tommy, Stardust , Lisztomania, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band, The World Is Full of Married Men, Yesterday's Hero, Alice, The Jazz Singer, Blind Terror with Mia Farrow, The Nutcracker with Joan Collins and Invitation to the Wedding with Sir Ralph Richardson and Sir John Gielgud.

Paul ventured into pop singing in 1976 which resulted in four top 10 hits, including the two million best seller Heaven On The Seventh Floor. Paul continues to record and has achieved a further four gold albums.

In 1992 Paul formed a production company with fellow actor and friend David Ian. Their 20th anniversary concert tour of Jesus Christ Superstar was a complete sell-out. They followed this success with The Greatest Shows In Town (Bournemouth International Centre) where the show broke box office records! Following this Paul and David produced a sell-out tour of The Pirates of Penzance in which Paul starred as the Pirate King.

In 1995 they produced a very successful tour of Singin in the Rain in which Paul was directed in the lead role by Tommy Steele. They have also produced the incredibly successful tours; Evita and Chess and they had a hit with the West End revival of Ain't Misbehavin.

They are also responsible for co-producing two of London 's biggest hit musicals Grease - on which they joined forces with the legendary impresario Robert Stigwood - and Saturday Night Fever which opened at the London Palladium in May 1998 and On Broadway in October 1999. Both shows began UK tours commencing September 2000.

Recently ITV ran a nationwide talent search on Saturday night prime time television to cast two unknowns into the roles of Danny and Sandy in Grease for the West End . Paul had the pivotal role of mentoring the group and making sure that they were prepared for life on the West End stage.

Paul has been the subject of This Is Your Life and has also written an autobiography Behind The Smile published by Andre Deutsch.

For his services to show business and charity, Paul was awarded a Silver Heart from the Variety Club of Great Britain.

Paul is about to start filming a new series for ITV1 called The Royal Today . He plays the Head Consultant in the hospital.

Kerris Peeling

Following training at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Kerris's career spans everything from Peter Pan to Peter Pan! Since her West End debut in 1994 as Nibs she has played Wendy and Tinkerbell before making the role of Peter truly her own, recreating the role in Milton Keynes, Bristol, Birmingham and now Plymouth. Her talents go much deeper than this with credits including leading roles in Fiddler on the Roof , High Society, The Dame Edna Musical , Me and My Girl, Aspects of Love, Sweeny Todd, The Railway Children, Next door's baby, Cinderella and the international movie hit A Christmas Carol . If there's a three year old shouting ‘Peter Pan – Mummy' in front of you, it's Kerris's son, Sebastian, who strangely knows all the words to this show and owns his own Pirate, Captain Hook and Peter Pan costumes.

Isobel Hathaway

Isobel originates from Oxford is currently training at Laine Theatre Arts on the 3 year musical theatre course. She will graduate in July 2008.

Her theatre credits include featured soloist in Believe In Yourself & Seeing Tomorrow (both Epsom Playhouse Theatre); Eponine in Les Miserables (Musical Youth Company, Oxford ); ensemble in Pickwick, The Twits & Joseph (all Apollo Theatre, Oxford ); various Pantomimes at the Oxford Playhouse.

Isobel is thrilled to be playing the role of Tinkerbell in Plymouth this season and wishes to thank her family for all their love and support.

Kelle Marie Walters

Kelle trained at Arts Educational on the musical theatre course graduating in 2006. Theatre credits include: Mrs Mugglewump in The Twits (Simply Theatre), Raindogs (workshop), The Golden Age (London Coliseum) and World War II Commemorative Service. Roles at college include: Frenchie in Grease , Cinderella in Cinderella, Ethel in 42 nd Street , Ruby Rae in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Victoria in Cats, Spinster in Lucky Stiff , Susan in Dombey & Son and Fiona in Salad Days .

Toby Hull and Emu

Toby Hull, the son of the late Rod Hull, has continued in his father's footsteps in attempting to train everyone's favourite bird, Emu.

Toby and Emu's debut performance together was at the Theatre Royal, Windsor in 2003, which was where Toby's father Rod held his last pantomime performance before his untimely death in 1999. They went on to tour England and Wales in their summer show Emu Clown Town and they also appeared every week at the Blackpool Tower Circus.

Both Toby and Emu joined Joe Pasquale at Birmingham Hippodrome in 2005 where Toby was on his best behaviour and Emu wasn't!

Toby spends most of his time between three countries, England, Japan and Australia. He has spent the last three years living and working in Tokyo . After mastering Japanese he has returned to England with his girlfriend Madoka.

During the early part of 2007 Toby completed filming 26 programmes of EMU with Endemol UK bringing back the popular children's television show.