Peter Pan on Ice

Wild Rose Productions have brought the magical story of Peter Pan to life through its fabulous cast of Russian ice stars. After their previous productions of Snow White, Cirque de Glace and Cinderella, they return once more to Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre with J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan; a well known story which perfectly captures the beauty of youth. 

Opening aptly in Kensington Gardens, the audience is introduced to a set of playful children and author J. M. Barrie (Valdis Mintals), who narrates the events of the play as he writes his story. In the gardens a child is pursued by a policeman, foreshadowing the adventures that the Darling family embarks upon with the much beloved Peter Pan (Dmitry Naumkin).

The set comprised of a story book, with Mintal's J.M Barrie turning pages eventually setting the backdrop for the Darlings’ adventures in Neverland. Behind the story book and surrounding the stage were paintings of a bookshelf, serving as a reminder to the audience that they were engaging with Barrie’s creative imagination.

The lighting complimented the production well, giving the illusion that the ice was changing colour with each scene, helping to evoke the appropriate mood from the audience. 

The composer, Maestro Silvio Amato, did a phenomenal job in creating a magical and emotive accompaniment. The only criticism lay with the occasional lapse in enthusiasm and expression shown by Naumkin in his portrayal of Pan. Although he was an unbelievably talented skater, on occasions it seemed he would rather be elsewhere. This minor flaw did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the production; which was reflected in the rapturous applause and standing ovation from a troop of Brownies at the curtain call.