Return of Peter Pan

PIRATES, CROCODILES, MERMAIDS, flying lads and fairy dust. They sound like a recipe for a children's show. But Wild Rice's year-end pantomimes have an appeal that transcends age groups.

These musicals frequently draw PMETs and retirees without any kids in tow. They love Wild Rice's formula of retelling popular fairy tales with a strong Singaporean twist and exuberant local humour - plus a small side of off-colour jokes that only adults get. There's also the toe-tapping original music that's so good, it sometimes gets pressed into a CD.

This year's pantomime is Peter Pan In Serangoon Gardens and stars actress Pam Oei in the title role. Most theatre productions of Peter Pan have women playing Peter because their tenor voices resemble more closely to those of boys.