This and the Cathy Rigby versions are fantastic in their own way, they are both such fun to watch and have a real sense of magic. With personal preference, I'm leaning towards Rigby's for the better flying sequences, being a little more polished, the continuous energy and being a little closer to the book. That is not to knock off Martin's in any way, it has great nostalgic value, the accents are more natural-sounding(pretty much the only real criticism with the Rigby version was how overdone some of the accents were) and does a marginally better job of bringing out the inner child within you. The ending is a little better done here too, it's genuinely heart-rending. The costumes and sets here are beautiful and colourful. The music is lively, charming and hugely memorable, Never Never Land and the poignant Distant Melody being the one that stood out the most(Mysterious Lady was a little pointless but so much fun to watch), and the scoring is lush in orchestration and rich in sound. The script is filled with snappy lines, it's often hilarious especially with Hook and Smee- and with Tiger Lily's priceless "Famous Indian proverb, when in doubt RUUNNNNNNN!"- and it seemed like everybody in the cast thought so, while the choreography is full of energy(like the Rigby version especially with the Pirates and the Indians) and the whole storytelling has a light-hearted charm.
The Lost Boys are immensely likable, no sense of nerves at all, the Indians and Tiger Lily are characterful and magnetic dancers and the Pirates are a genuinely rollicking lot. Maureen Bailey is charming and spunky as Wendy, her voice is pleasant and strong if a little too mature-sounding at times. Nana is adorable and this version has one of the cutest Michaels, John is spirited and the narration is wonderfully sincere. Cyril Ritchard and particularly Mary Martin are what you'll remember most about this Peter Pan. Ritchard is both funny and menacing, the funniest parts at their best are hilarious though it's not a performance that is played-for-laughs, there are times like in the capture of the children where Hook is quite dangerous. He also plays Mr Darling, a tradition is for Captain Hook and Mr Darling to be played by the same actor, and he is very convincing at being uptight As Peter, Martin is just wonderful, Cathy Rigby may be more boyish and more athletic but the energy and likability levels between the two actresses are equal. But Martin just edges out Rigby in the singing department(though I still adore Rigby's voice), Martin's voice is just beautiful to listen to but she also brings lilt and emotion to her singing that Rigby doesn't quite do as effectively. Never Never Land is moving, gorgeously sung and not just one of the highlights of the production but also a standout of any individual rendition from any musical seen recently. All in all, a wonderful classic that is more than a nostalgic childhood favourite. 10/10 Bethany Cox
The Lost Boys are immensely likable, no sense of nerves at all, the Indians and Tiger Lily are characterful and magnetic dancers and the Pirates are a genuinely rollicking lot. Maureen Bailey is charming and spunky as Wendy, her voice is pleasant and strong if a little too mature-sounding at times. Nana is adorable and this version has one of the cutest Michaels, John is spirited and the narration is wonderfully sincere. Cyril Ritchard and particularly Mary Martin are what you'll remember most about this Peter Pan. Ritchard is both funny and menacing, the funniest parts at their best are hilarious though it's not a performance that is played-for-laughs, there are times like in the capture of the children where Hook is quite dangerous. He also plays Mr Darling, a tradition is for Captain Hook and Mr Darling to be played by the same actor, and he is very convincing at being uptight As Peter, Martin is just wonderful, Cathy Rigby may be more boyish and more athletic but the energy and likability levels between the two actresses are equal. But Martin just edges out Rigby in the singing department(though I still adore Rigby's voice), Martin's voice is just beautiful to listen to but she also brings lilt and emotion to her singing that Rigby doesn't quite do as effectively. Never Never Land is moving, gorgeously sung and not just one of the highlights of the production but also a standout of any individual rendition from any musical seen recently. All in all, a wonderful classic that is more than a nostalgic childhood favourite. 10/10 Bethany Cox