Captain Hook looks as if he has stepped out of the court of Louis XIV. His head is half wig, half galleon, buoyant on a sea of blond curls. It is such a striking image that it takes a moment to notice the boots finished with pearls or the rings on the fingers of his one working hand. Played by Colin McCredie, this is Hook as a dandy – a baddie more interested in preening than finishing off his adversaries.
And “played” is the operative word. Ben Occhipinti’s wholesome production of an adaptation by Janys Chambers focuses on the make-believe quality of JM Barrie’s original. You could not mistake McCredie for a real villain – he elicits neither a hiss nor a boo. Rather, he is a dressing-up box pirate, more narcissist than threat.
