No make-believe as Peter Pan really does take to the air

Peter Pan will soar above the seats in a feat as ambitious as any in the group's history of 30-plus years.

The exact mechanism which will allow Iona Holland to lift off from the stage at Eastergate Village Hall is being kept under wraps to enable panto-goers to delight in the magic of the atmosphere.

The sight of the child who never grows taking to the air will surpass the staging of the famous play in some other productions.

Players' chairman Graham Rousell said: "A lot of productions get around the fact that Peter Pan should be flying but we think we've managed to achieve that.

"If it works as well as we hope, it will look very good."

Meanwhile, Peter Pan will be in action on the stage, duelling with Captain Hook (Kenneth Hobbs) using real swords.

No make-believe in a story built on Neverland to minimise any risks for the pair. They will be taking each other on with blades which can do some serious damage. A fight choreographer has been brought in to ensure the scene passes safely.

All this, and a cast of 45 among a total production company of around 100.

It promises to be one of the Players' most ambitious shows to date. Work on it started last July. Rehearsals began two months later.

It is definitely the first time JM Barrie's evergreen story about Peter Pan, Tinker Bell (Freya Holland), Mrs Darling (Gayle Douglas) and Wendy (Mai Elphinstone) has been staged by the group.

The Players date from the early 1970s and staged their first panto in their current guise in 1978.

Mr Rousell said: "I thought it was about time that we did Peter Pan.

"I think we have done just about every conceivable panto. Some of them have been done twice."

The Players are expecting around 1,200 people to watch the six shows they are staging between January 22 and January 26.

The nightly performances at 7.30pm will be joined by a 2pm matinee on the final day. The capacity audiences are standard for a set of performers and backstage crew who do more than the ordinary village amateur dramatic group.

Mr Rousell pointed out: "The Christmas show at the Chichester Festival Theatre had 75 performers and I visited a theatre in Coventry, recently refurbished at a cost of millions, and its show had a cast of 12.

"That shows the scale of our production. It's bigger than many businesses and it involves all the community.

"We have a lot of young people involved to provide a positive point in their lives and make use of talents, which they may not have realised that they have."

The Players will also be putting the proceeds of their show to benefit villagers.

They will be investing, along with the hall's management committee, some 15,000 in the coming year on refurbishing the building.

Work planned so far includes electrical and safety measures as well as a likely new stagefloor.

Prices for tickets for Peter Pan vary for different shows. They cost up to 6 a seat.

They can bought from Barnham Post Office, opposite the railway station, between 9am and 5pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 9am to 7.30pm on Wednesday and Saturday.