Peter Pan Starring David Hasselhoff At Nottingham Theatre Royal REVIEW

Two names have been on Nottingham's lips with bated breath since the outrageously fantastical announcement was made back in June of the showbiz pair up we could hardly dare to dream of and to make all our Christmases come at once, Hasselhoff And Pollard; Hofficially the Most Watched TV Star In The World together with Nottingham's Favourite Superstar Daughter live on stage for six weeks and the hottest goddamn ticket in town.

To an electric sweetie-munching local atmosphere of sugar-high frenzied anticipation, the Peter Pan story began to unfold with Wendy, her brothers and an alarmingly massive gallumping Nanny receiving a flying visit from Peter Pan who transports the children to Neverland. And it's in this enchanted faraway land from an immense glitter ball with a slow reveal that first emerges Su Pollard to humongous whooping and applause, back home in town and on stage where she belongs, brighter, better and bluer than ever as Mimi the Magical Mermaid, giving it her all with Nottingham lovingly giving it all right back at ya.

More pirate and Red Indian high jinx and musical numbers follow until the show is stopped and taken up another mind-bendingly awesome level by the the entrance of David Hasselhoff as Captain Hook, striding onto stage like a mighty towering panto Colossus, a jaw dropping spectacle dripping in brocade, feathers and tumbling jet-black ringlets. Knight Rider, Baywatch and Hoff gags a-plenty abound but it's his big number in the second act that gets those timbers permanently and forever shivered with Hoff commanding and commandeering the stage, legs apart in full-on actor's stance a mwha-ha-ha moustachioed-villian vision in white, accompanied by dancing girls and a cute pirate chorus in a billowing sea of dry ice as he belts and bellows his number like a singing Panto Titan and a Sight To Behold the likes of which You've Never Seen In Your Life.

Meanwhile there's some serious scene-stealing shenanigans afoot from Ben Nickless as Mr Smee with a naughtily delicious chocolate bedtime spoof of 50 Shades of Grey guaranteed to maul and tease you plus a freaky and screechingly funny Pamela Anderson tribute to boot and either ducking from those pesky water pistols, heartily indulging in a foam rock fight with dandy pirate men, singing-along or getting up and down for the Dance-Hoff, aint no way you'll be staying put in your seat when this show gets started, me hearties.

Clap your hands and believe! All hail and be upstanding for the Almighty King Hoff of Panto! Confidentially, we don't care who you have to Hassle for a ticket, just hoist up your mainsail and fly to the second star to the right and straight on till morning to the hands down best show in town and Nottingham event of the year, arrrr!


Full details of Peter Pan performance times and ticket prices can be found on the Theatre Royal website here