Introducing 'Ethel*'

When V booked for us to go and see Peter Pan at the WYP, I have to admit that the most exciting bit was that it was on ‘Pirate Friday’, when the audience were invited to go dressed as a pirate.

Of course, this meant another trip to Costume Hire. In short order, I’d found myself a slightly shabby frock coat, embroidered waistcoat, frilled shirt and tricorn hat. As this is me, my pirate also had to have backstory, and a name. I was, of course, a girl pirate, with ropes of pearls and jewels (from my ‘props box’ which I’d found when I cleared out the study). I already had a pirate cutlass, from our camping trip to Whitby!

Arriving at the theatre, we looked around for the other pirates. Oh there were a few small children dressed up, but the adult theatregoers of Leeds are very boring. Eventually we spotted two other adults who were dressed up (I didn’t count the couple of people wearing cardboard pirate hats as being dressed up – a hat does not a costume make!), and that was it.

Did we care? Not a jot, and we proceeded to take photos and have cutlass fights in the bar – threatening a few small children in the process. Once the show started, we wouldn’t have looked out of place on stage.

Although we enjoyed the show**, we all agreed it was so afraid of being thought a pantomime that it lacked fun and energy. The cast were all very accomplished singers, but it was all a bit pedestrian. Though it could have partly have been because they had had their Christmas party the night before!

My advice for another year is, be braver! Don’t worry about going for the fun element – and if you want people to dress up, offer them an incentive, like a free drink.

*As in ‘Romeo and Ethel, the pirate’s daughter’
** We came out praising the production, the movement and the set which tells you a lot.