Two Manx actors will be flying across the local stage again, after taking on the lead roles in this year’s Pantomime.

Matthew Chase and Georgia Maddocks will star as Peter Pan and Wendy Darling in the latest festive show to hit the Gaiety Theatre stage over the Christmas period.

’Peter Pan-A Swashbuckling Pantomime Adventure’ opens this Saturday, December 21, from 7pm and will run twice a day until January 4, not including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Produced by the UK-based professional theatre company Shone Productions, the show will feature spectacular scenery, dazzling costumes, special effects and a unique 3D interlude, along with promising some of the most exciting flying scenes seen in local theatres to date.

Joining Georgia and Matthew on stage will be a host of British actors, including Alex McNamara as Captain Hook and Adam Kelly as his comical side-kick Smee.

Seasoned panto veteran Ian Mowat will play the traditional panto dame Mrs Smee and they will be joined by Mollie Cranmer, who stars as Tiger Lily and Charlotte Griffiths who plays the magical fairy Tinkerbell.

Both Matthew and Georgia learned their craft in local theatre and drama schools as children and they have both appeared in many productions on the Gaiety Theatre stage prior to making the jump to moving across to London to further their individual careers.

Matthew moved in 2012 and, since graduating from the ArtsEd school of acting, has worked non-stop in touring shows across the world.

Georgia has only just graduated from the London School of Musical Theatre and Peter Pan is her debut role as a full-time actor.

’This is my first professional show and to be able to do it in the Isle of Man, on the Gaiety stage, is amazing,’ said Georgia.

’The last pantomime I did was over here, which was ’Puss In Boots’ with Dreamstar, in 2014, which was great fun.

’The last production I took part in at the Gaiety was Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat, in 2017, while I was still studying. I have been really lucky to play a lot of amazing roles over here, such as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, amongst many others.

’To have done them, and then to go away to train professionally is a dream come true for me.’

This is the third time Matthew will have appeared in a Peter Pan pantomime.

’The last time I did Peter Pan in Cardiff, in 2016,’ said Matthew.

’We had David Hasselhoff playing as Captain Hook that year, which was just amazing.

’I had thought I had given up the flying for good, but when the offer to come back to my home theatre and play Peter Pan again came through, I couldn’t say no.’

Both Georgia and Matthew are looking forward to wowing the local audiences with their spectacular show.

’I love doing panto as they create my favourite crowd reactions,’ said Matthew.

’When the flying music comes on, you can hear the gasps from people in the crowd. Kids absolutely love it.

’I think that one of the greatest things about doing panto is that for most kids it is the first time they get to go to the theatre.

’I remember going to a panto as a kid and getting really worked up by the atmosphere.

’I would get so angry that they could see the bad guy behind them, and the experience was this wonderful, all-consuming thing.

’It is great to see and hear the kids in the audience get really excited and passionate about it.’

Tickets for ’Peter Pan-A Swashbuckling Pantomime Adventure’ are priced from £18.50 to £21 for an adult ticket and from £17.50 to £19 for under 16s and seniors, available from the Welcome Centre and the VillaGaiety box office, on 600555, or online from villagaiety.com.

A full list of performance times and dates can be found at villagaiety.com/whats-on

by Mike Wade

Twitter:@iomnewspapers