Review | Hook, the Pompey Panto at The Kings Theatre: "Enormously entertaining"

The plot, such as it is, involves Wendy Jr (played by Georgia Deloise who was so impressive in The Kings’ production of Chitty, Chitty, Bang Bang earlier this year) being taken by her mother’s friend, Peter Pan back to his world to fight Captain Hook.

Shaun Williamson, aka Barry from EastEnders, gets to steal the show as the titular Hook. He looks like he’s having a great time, chewing scenery, hamming it up outrageously and showcasing some impressive vocals. He makes for a captivating villain.

James ‘Arg’ Argent, from The Only Way is Essex, is creditable as Hook’s nemesis, Peter Pan – getting to fly all over the stage, and demonstrating that he too has a decent singing voice.

"The fat man in a dress” and Pompey Panto mainstay Jack Edwards is back – this time as Mrs Smee. And my word – no man is safe this year, as she combs the crowd looking for a “hunky, chunky monkey” using a video camera, showing the image on a huge screen behind her. A watching Fred Dinenage in the circle is singled out for some attention, but it’s “Sean” in the stalls who proves to be the press night’s main recipient of the dame’s affections.

Mercifully there is no weak link in the cast – from the junior ensemble through all the leads.

The script provides a veritable pirate’s bounty of groan-inducing gags, painful puns and wicked one-liners – and we wouldn’t expect it any other way. There are several references to EastEnders (and a “doof-doof” or two) and TOWIE, as well as digs at our south coast neighbours, and some light politics…

It is all carefully scripted chaos.

There is of course the ghost bench sketch – which makes good use of the flying harness.

And it wouldn’t be a Pompey Panto without The 12 Days of Christmas at the end, which soon devolves into the predictable disaster of flying loo rolls and scrambling for the props as they accelerate to the finish line. Impressive work too from the audience member who manages a knock-out shot to Mrs Smee’s head with a well-aimed loo roll!

Our eight-year-old twins laughed themselves silly throughout (favourite gag: Dave, the deep-voiced pirate), but then so did my wife and I.

It’s all enormously entertaining, and if you’ll pardon the puns, it will have you hooked – the show flew by all too quickly.

Until December 31. For tickets go to kingsportsmouth.co.uk.