Playing Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the London Palladium

Jennifer Saunders is to make her pantomime debut, playing Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the London Palladium.

The Ab Fab star will be appearing alongside Julian Clary, a Palladium panto regular, who will be co-writing the script as well as starring as Seaman Smee.

Saunders will be following in the footsteps of her comedy partner Dawn French, who played he hero’s mother in Jack And The Beanstalk at the venue last year.

Other mainstays of the annual show will be returning, including ventriloquist and comedian Paul Zerdin as crewman Starkey, Gary Wilmot as Captain Hook’s mother, and Nigel Havers, whose role has not yet been revealed.

Comic performance artist and writer Rob Madge – known for their solo show My Son’s A Queer, (But What Can You Do?) – will play Tinker Bell.

Producer and director Michael Harrison told Deadline: ‘I thought: ‘Hello! Captain Hook is often played by a man and I thought why not do a gender change? It’s what pantomime is all about, isn’t it?’

Harrison, who will also write the show with Clary, added that pantomimes ‘can be riotous at times but Jennifer’s a proven comic genius. For starters, just her sauntering on stage as Captain Hook will get a laugh, and that’s before she’s said anything.’

Saunders recently starred as Mother Superior in the West End stage version of Sister Act alongside Beverley Knight. General booking for  Peter Pan opens on Friday.

Published: 24 Apr 2023