Peter Pan, Headgate Theatre, Colchester. Until Sunday, December 13.

IT’S the time of the year when I and my co-critic, my godson Jake, go to the Headgate Theatre to watch their annual panto.

We always have a great time, but with this year’s offering, Peter Pan, the company smashed it right out of the ball park all the way to Neverland!

I always ask Jake who he enjoyed watching the most, and this year he stressed, ‘Everyone’, and it’s really hard to disagree with him.

Such a lively, talented, vibrant company, and director David King makes the most of each and every one of them, and uses the space brilliantly to transport the audience to different locations.

However, we particularly enjoyed Kevin Topple’s Dame, Tiger Lily, working expertly with the audience and providing laughs a plenty.

In the comedy stakes he was matched by Vince Webb’s loveable Smee, and Liam MacKenna had a touch of Professor Snape to his villainous Captain Hook.

Ella D’Arcy Jones was an enchanting Wendy, and Alice Molnar as Pan gave strong indications that she is a future star in the making. A wonderful, assured performance and she also choreographed the excellent dance routines.

Jake and the younger members of the audience were also enchanted with Rachel Ling’s mermaid Myrtle, and were relieved when Elizabeth Pickering Hopland’s good fairy gone bad Tinkerbell was brought back to life.

Under the excellent guidance of musical director Neil Somerville, the songs were confident, lively and hugely enjoyable. We always say that each year was the best panto, but this one really was, with two hour flying by as quickly as a lost boy returning home to mother.

PAUL T. DAVIES AND JAKE HESKETH (Age 10)