Whenever you go to a performance from First Act, you can expect lots of songs, and a powerful sense of joy – and that was certainly true of the recent Peter Pan show at Shanklin Theatre.

First Act shows are always highly individual renditions of a classic tale, and this was Peter Pan with a difference, with the inclusion of great sing-along tunes such as How Much Is That Doggy In The Window and the Shoop Shoop Song.

There are also different casts each day – although some key cast members remain the same throughout.

I saw Tuesday night’s performance and thought it was a well-told tale full of fun and plenty of opportunities to cheer the hero and boo the baddies.

Aaron Danvers Jukes and Sarah Louise McEvoy were great as the two storytellers, while Wendy Todd, Christopher Ayres and Marie Smith were good as the Darling children, Wendy, John, and Michaela.

Kayleigh France made a likeable Peter Pan, James Soley was funny as Captain Hook, and I loved Croc and Smee too – played on Tuesday by Carl Harvey and Ashleigh Jones.

There was double the fairy fun – not just Tinkerbell as in the book, but two sparkly fairies – Tinks and Bell.

The show included some brilliant ideas – I loved the way the cast conveyed the flight to Neverland and the mermaids on the lagoon scenes worked well too.

The crowd scenes with the pirates and Lost Boys were good – I loved the secret handshake, the food fight and the party games, as well as the Anything Can Happen in Neverland (and probably will!) moment.

First Act is a group like no other, in that most members face physical or mental challenges, but they have many talents, and they clearly love performing – long may that continue.