Peter Pan on Ice showing @ Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 9-13 Feb @ 19:30

With a magical and captivating set glistening in the lights, this version of Peter Pan did what others have done over the years, taking you to the heart of the story of ‘the boy who wouldn’t grow up.’ This was part pantomime, part winter olympics, and all entertainment from the astonishing Russian Ice Stars. An unseen narration linked the scenes, leaving the real stars of the show to drive the story on: the skaters and the skating.

Much was made from a small stage and while there was the odd slip and slide nothing should be taken away from the brilliance of skating on show. As each half went on the turns became slower and the stops more unsure as the quality of the ice deteriorated. This just confirmed the skill of the ice actors.

The term ensemble cast could have been born for this show.  Vladis Mintals as JM Barrie and Katya Murugova as Tinkerbell proved stand out,  but there was no weak link. But Yuri Kuprin did the impossible playing the crocodile in full mask.

With the running time of two hours the overall length of the show is perfect but some scenes do overstay their welcome, but the brilliance of the skating far outshines any of the negatives.