New Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of it
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Theatre
A smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusion
Cock
Restaurants
Kitchen W8 is a bargain for this area, if such sophistication is what you crave
Kitchen W8
Too long and drawn out but very entertaining with excellent special effects
This is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flaws
Alex has a strong powerful voice and was faultless, she is far better now than she was on the X-Factor
London,




Dir: Stephanie Sinclaire, Mike Dixon (musical director), Marc Urquhart (choreographer).
Cast: Kathy Kastin, Peter Land, Rafaella Hutchinson
Description: The magical and adventurous fantasy by J.M Barrie, with Katherine Kastin in the title role, and Peter Land as the evil, sinister Captain Hook.
Trains: Tube/BR: Angel/Highbury & Islington
Phone: 0870890 0149
Website: www.kingsheadtheatre.org
Email: info@kingsheadtheatre.org
Extra info: Party Hire
Confined space: Peter Pan (Katherine Kastin) and Tinkerbell (Talia Mehmet)
Theatre-goers looking for the greatest density of actors per square metre in exchange for their pound should rest assured that the King's Head represents money well spent.
Stephanie Sinclaire, who directs her own appealing adaptation of Peter Pan, crams 25 performers into this tiny space, leading to much piratical rumbustiousness in between the bench seats.
Apart from the thrill of seeing this Islington venue become a producing house once more, the major draw is the chance to witness the stage premiere of Leonard Bernstein's nine songs and full score, which didn't all make it to Broadway in 1950.
Unfortunately, after this hearing, it's easy to see why no one has bothered to exhume them in the intervening 56 years. Katherine Kastin makes a perky Pan and Lisa Holliman a sweet-voiced Wendy. Peter Land could up Hook's malevolence levels; at the moment, he is outshone by an exuberant wig.
The Mouse Queen
Hampstead
****
There's squeaky-clean fun to be had at The Mouse Queen but, in this delightful combination of puppetry, acting and music, little Tilly Mouse develops an alarming cheese habit. It's a consequence of her audacious move to the Big City, in Ben Glasstone and Tim Kane's charming reworking of five of Aesop's fables.
Delicatessens should hire the actor-musicians in Steve Tiplady's tip-top production to stand outside their premises and croon the paean to cheese, just one of the original songs so hummable West End composers ought to take note.
Tilly starts off as a puppet, whose clever articulation means a wide range of affecting movements. Then Ruth Calkin takes over, to stand up to Kane's Leonard the Lion. Don't bother about a small child as a pretext: just go.
• King's Head until 14 Jan (020 7226 1916). Hampstead until 6 Jan (020 7722 9301)
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.