15/10/2025
We have received a REVIEW of Peter Pan-tomime!
On the 3rd October 2025, I had the pleasure and privilege of watching the matinee performance of Peter Pan-tomime, presented by DM productions. As someone who grew up doing community theatre, studied a diploma in dance, has taught children and adults to dance for 10+ years and has seen dozens of productions varying from community theatre to professional companies, I consider myself somewhat of a harsh critic. Having prior knowledge of the creative team and some of the cast behind this production, I knew I was in for an impressive show. However, I was absolutely blown away at the exquisite level of creativity, the quality of talent and the overall impact of Peter Pan-tomime. It was a show that should be touring Australia and every performing arts student and professional in this field should be watching and making notes.
DM productions is a talent development program, focussing on stage crafts skills, some of which young performers are losing to the extensive competition scene in Australia. The cast are aged 7-18yrs and are fully responsible for all aspects of their performance, including props, costume changes, moving scenery and being ready and prepared for entrances and exits. Alumni guests from previous DM Productions performed also, most of whom are now training and working in the performing arts industry all around the world. Up to twenty local children were given the opportunity to be ‘extras’ in the show, they played the stars and the running water. These children have limited stage experience for various reasons and their confidence soars after their experience performing.
The audience was sold out, including three large groups of vacation care and a group from an assisted living facility, who were all buzzing with excitement. Smaller production companies, particularly if they are associated with dance studios can be easily dismissed. This is often due to notorious lack of funding and the fact that the performers are still in training, they’re not yet at a professional level. Neither of these issues were obstacles in Peter Pan-tomime.
I’ve never seen an audience so engaged and enthralled from start to finish. The cheering, the booing, the excitement as the story unfolded and the characters entered the aisles. The entire production was brilliantly thought out and really put a new spin on a classic story. The programs were beautifully compiled and handed out free of charge, which was also a refreshing change.
As we entered the theatre, the curtain was still drawn. However, the set was interactive, with the Darling children’s beds and nightstand on the floor of the auditorium. There was also a short wooden plank that extended over the stage, some mermaid rocks stage left and trees stage right, to demonstrate all the different parts of Neverland. The set was simplistic, but successful in storytelling.
Peter Pan himself gave us the voiceover reminder to turn off our phones and not take pictures, which was a fun introduction. The initial cast entered through the auditorium door, engaging everyone into the action immediately.
Ella-Mai Johnson was a cheeky and animated shadow, there were many laughs as she and Peter battled. Their duo choreography had acrobatic, contemporary, jazz, classical ballet and mime elements. Mia Hickman was spritely and energetic as Peter Pan. The Darling children were all charming and well cast. They had a huge load of scenes and numbers to remember, however handled it with ease and grace. Anna Warburton was the perfect Tinkerbell as she portrayed jealousy, possessiveness and ultimate loyalty through her dancing and facial storytelling. The standard of dancing that all these characters performed was honestly better than some professional productions I’ve watched. The high quality training in all different dance genres was very apparent.
There are various challenges involved with performing the story of Peter Pan, the most obvious being, how will the cast fly? Having seen flying harnesses and rigs fail before, I was interested to watch how it would be achieved. The ensemble, dressed in black created this illusion with some very advanced choreographed lifts, including as the cast jumped through the window prop! This occurred as the projection screen played footage of soaring over homes through the neighbourhood, it gave the whole audience the feeling we were flying too. The use of technology in creating some of the illusions was an innovative approach. Ensemble performers had glowing lights attached to themselves to represent the stars. The choreography was intricate and involved sophisticated group work to assist with the fantasy that the audience was flying, following the stars!
There was a collective gasp as the curtain was raised to reveal the mermaids of Neverland. The older dancers performed this piece en pointe and younger dancers in flat ballet shoes, all with their hair out and plenty of mermaid sparkles. They danced an elegant and poised piece of choreography with water themes and motifs incorporated. Classical ballet, neoclassical, demi character and contemporary elements were utilised in the choreography to convey the hypnotic nature of the mermaids.
As soon as Hook (Jackson Packwood) entered the stage, the entire audience was booing and cheering and laughing. This young performer was outstanding in both their acting and dancing skills and held the entire audience in the palm of their hand. The pirates were dynamic in their movement and facial expressions. A favourite moment of mine in the show was when Hook forced one of the pirates to walk the plank, which extended from the stage. The performer jumped down into darkness on the audience floor, which was very convincing and captivating.
The lost boys were all athletic and vibrant in their performances. Minimal props were used, however the lost boys using their sticks and bows and arrows to copy Michael Darling’s choreography with the umbrella had the whole audience laughing. There were contemporary and jazz influences in these pieces of choreography and there were multiple sections that were performed in cannon, which requires strong group work.
Many youth companies have steered away from performing the story of Peter Pan due to cultural appropriation with the character of Tiger Lily and the Native Americans. The research that had been done into traditional Native American dancing, outfits and storytelling was evident. Performers wore animal masks, as Native American cultures do for sacred ceremonies, storytelling and healing. The traditional ghost dancing was cleverly combined with a contemporary and acrobatic dance influence from choreographer Karina Graham-Wilson. The use of flower petals as a motif was particularly effective, they fell from the ceiling and were thrown around, incorporated in the choreography of the number. Elizabeth Elliott was majestic in her portrayal of Tiger Lily. The costuming, choreography and music chosen were all clear examples of how powerful cultural appreciation on the stage can be. This demonstration was particularly moving and closed the first half.
My favourite moment of the second half was when Tinkerbell and her fairy friends came down the aisles, throwing pixie dust at anyone who wanted it. It can be hard to ensure all audience members who want to be included get this opportunity, but the fairies were on all sides, well spaced out and I was thrilled to get a sprinkling myself!
As the lost boys, the pirates, the brave girls, Peter and the darling children all danced together in celebration, I particularly enjoyed the use of body percussion and contemporary influence in the choreography.
Gemma Montalbano was a sassy and stage commanding crocodile, using tap dancing with various rhythms to represent the sound of ticking. It is always interesting to see how the crocodile will be portrayed in the story of Peter Pan. Often a plastic croc is wheeled on stage that terrifies the children watching. However, this new take had the entire audience laughing as the beats of the tapping became more intricate and Captain Hook began quivering in his pirate boots. It was great to see all genres of dance incorporated in the production. The entire cast did a tap finale number to ‘never smile at a crocodile’ after the resolution of the story and the entire audience was clapping along.
I’d like to pass my congratulations on to the creative team, Bronwyn Russell, Robert Russell, Karina Graham-Wilson and Yasmin Pine. To the performers, you should be incredibly proud of yourself, your talent annd humility was overwhelming and there are huge things in store for all of you in this industry. The life skills that are gained when students are given these kind of opportunities are invaluable. Discipline, resilience, problem solving skills, teamwork, creativity, confidence building and self sufficiency are traits that are imperative to success in any field and this was a fantastic way to learn and improve on those skills. Australia is a country that highly values sport - and the arts, particularly dance can be overlooked and undervalued. I would absolutely recommend watching the next DM productions performance and for business owners looking to support local talent, your generosity can ensure these kind of opportunities are available to young people. If you would like to be involved with DM Productions, please reach out via email to [email protected] today.
My only complaint (or perhaps suggestion!) was that I would have loved to see the characters come out in the foyer afterwards, to congratulate them. However I understand that this can be logistically difficult, so perhaps they can read this review instead! What a brilliant performance that will stick in my mind forever, well done to you all. I am an avid fan of DM Productions and encourage everyone else to watch future presentations. Looking forward to seeing what this clever company comes up with next!
- Elizabeth Goodwin
