Ross Petty’s Pantomimes have become an institution here in Toronto for the past 25 years. But this year Ross and his amazing team take one last trip to Neverland with Peter’s Final Flight! Truly a show for the whole family, Peter’s Final Flight! has something for everyone. With music, dancing, and as much booing and laughing as you can muster, make sure you take part in this Toronto Holiday tradition.

            For those unfamiliar with the Pantomime genre, they are a Christmas tradition in the UK and feature song and dance, slapstick comedy and topical jokes. They’re usually based on common fairy tales and children’s stories. There is also traditionally a character called the Dame, who is played by a man in drag. They are also very much reliant on audience participation. Booing for the villains and cheering for the heroes, or anything else you’re asked to do, makes it tons of fun for the whole family.

            I must admit, I adore seeing family shows like this where the kids are really getting into it. The get so wrapped up in the world that’s being created before their eyes, and to hear them calling out and booing and getting excited brings me boundless joy. It’s like watching the next generation of theatre goers, actors, critics, and theatre practitioners beginning their journey.

            I’m sure it will come as no surprise that Peter’s Final Flight! is a spectacular affair; from the sets and costumes to the singing and dancing, it was marvellous! The jokes that Plumbum the fairy would make about things like the Rogers outage or the three mermaids being the Karsplashians, had everyone in stitches. I also really enjoyed that they used modern songs throughout the production; you could see the little ones hearing things they knew, but there were also a few thrown in for the adults too. It’s everything that we recognize from Peter Pan, but with Ross Petty’s fantastical spin on it. Any audience of a certain age would also not have missed Mr. Dressup’s tickle trunk as an homage to the late great Ernie Coombs.

            The cast of Peter’s Final Flight! are so much fun and give amazing performances. Dan Chameroy reprises his role as Plumbum the fairy; his physical comedy paired with the witty jokes for adults ensures plenty of laughter and fun for all! Ross Petty and Sarah-Jeanne Hosie play Captain and Helga Hook respectively. Their characters delighted in their villainy and I feel like it’s safe to say that they truly delight in these roles. Eddie Glen is another Ross Petty Panto favourite, and his Smee was absolutely adorable; watching him flip-flop about whether he wanted to be good, or a villain was so funny, and his charm shines through in every scene. Alex Wierzbicki and Stephanie Sy play Peter and Wendy and I loved watching their characters go on this journey together. They are both such vibrant, talented actors, I look forward to seeing what they do next. The ensemble is comprised of Eric Abel, Mariah Campos, Bonnie Jordan, Conor Scully, Darren Burkett, Sierra Holder, Tyler Pearse, and Genny Sermonia. From being Lost Ones to Karsplashians to skeletons, these troupe was insanely talented. The choreography was awesome and they looked like they were having an amazing time performing it.

            Take your family, take everyone young and old out to see Peter’s Final Flight! this Holiday season. I truly hope that Ross Petty is getting the same standing ovations every night as he did on opening. After finally getting to experience one of his amazing shows, having seen ads year after year and wondering how much fun it would be, Peter’s Final Flight! lives up to every bit of hype. It runs until January 7^th so there’s plenty of time even after the holidays to get out and see this magical show! For more information and tickets, visit: Ross Petty

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Cover Photo: Alex Wierzbicki as Peter, Dan Chameroy as Plumbum and Stephanie Sy as
Wendy with the Lost Ones

In text Photo: Sara-Jeanne Hosie as Helga Hook and Ross Petty as Captain Hook

All Photos by Racheal McCaig