Peter Pan Goes Wrong

Move everything on your watchlists one place down and put this first. In fact, whatever you do, pause it for an hour and watch this now. Theatrical adaptation of Peter Pan that "goes wrong" is so over the top that it should be painfully stupid. But this amateur dramatics group pulled it off amazingly. They went so far over the top that they made hilarious comedy that will make you laugh to tears. If I ever get a chance to see this in theater I surely won't miss it.

9/10

As I write this, the Mischief Theatre is on Broadway at the Barrymore Theater with this burlesque of J. M. Barrie's show. If, however, you don't have the $85 dollars, or can't get to Broadway, you can look at this BBC production from 2016.

There are several obvious ways for this show to go wrong; the flying harnesses are the obvious things. However, the scheduled problems with this production don't end with that particular gag -- or start with them either. There are problems backstage as well as on, performers get stuck in embarrassing poses, there are audience members heckling, players getting angry, narrator David Suchet gets trapped in the chaos, and even a story that goes on about the cast, a bunch of farceurs who will keep you laughing throughout.

This is an excellent way to spend an hour. I laughed out loud a number of times and even when I wasn't laughing, I was smiling. I highly recommend.

I love and saw all three major plays by the Mischief Theatre several times. The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong and Comedy About the Bank Robbery and I love all of them. Saw all three with the original cast. Every time I'm in London I go and see one or more of their plays, which is what I plan to do this January, too (I'll go and see Petert Pan Goes Wrong). I was pleasantly surprised to see that BBC planned to show it on New Year's Eve and told all my friends. The TV version was almost all there, they obviously shortened it a bit. I especially missed the part in which the mother tries to turn off the lamps in the children's room, but also enjoyed the video additions which you don't see in the theatre (the joke on the lake and later going through the various BBC studios etc.) If this becomes available somewhere online, definitely watch it. It's hilarious.

I smiled and laughed through most of this show. It makes me think how much more enjoyable school plays would be for both the children and the audience if they were presented like this performance. Anything that would go wrong would just be part of the play and everyone would laugh. It is just what it is supposed to be lighthearted fun.