South London locals and pantomime fans alike will be delighted to see the return of a classic this Christmas, with Peter Pan: A Pantomime Adventure landing at Greenwich Theatre until 11 January 2026. The show’s mix of cheekiness and shameless silliness makes it a fantastic pick for a family-friendly festive fiesta.
In this pantomime version of Peter Pan, J. M. Barrie’s classic story about the hunger for eternal youth is given a contemporary facelift. Rather than a nursery in a Bloomsbury townhouse, we meet Wendy Darling in a South London car garage, where she works. Not only has the plot been brought into the present, the gags are freshly borne out of this year’s viral memes and TikTok trends. Olivia Williamson embodies this youthful spirit perfectly in her portrayal of the most famous fictional attention seeker, Tinkerbell. As she glides onto the stage in her classic green get-up singing “360” by Charli XCX, it is hard to imagine a modern Tinkerbell would be anything other than a sassy influencer who speaks of ‘vibes’ and ‘red flags’.
That said, traditionalists need not panic. The Gen Alpha ‘6-7’ joke may have flown over the head of anyone old enough to order a drink at the bar, but there was plenty of classic banter and raunchy double entendres for the fans of a more old school experience. Greenwich panto veterans will especially be delighted by the return of Louise Cielecki as Smee. Not only is her vocal range wide enough to bring the house down, her back-and-forth with the audience keeps the energy high all evening.
Behind it all is director James Haddrell and award-winning writer and actor Anthony Spargo, who returns to Greenwich Theatre for the twelfth time as an actor, and fourth in the capacity as a writer. This time around, he portrays the villain, Captain Hook, as a fun mash-up between a rockstar and camp panto dame. Knowing he is behind the script makes his witty asides about the quality of the jokes even funnier.
Offering something for everyone, it’s easy to see why Greenwich pantomime has built such a great reputation. Having returning cast members build a sense of community — one that’s open, accessible and inviting enough that newcomers will be keen to return next year.
This sense of community makes for a rowdy audience, but everyone in that auditorium, from the people in the back rows to the cast on stage, was having fun. Peter Pan: A Pantomime Adventure never once takes itself too seriously, and that’s exactly how a pantomime should be.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
