STAR CHAT! Molly Lanaghan: The Pink Tink bringing sparkle to Peter Pan on Ice

Dancing on Ice champion and figure skating star headlines this Christmas’s most magical family show.

This Christmas, forget the same old panto – there’s a new sprinkle of magic in town. Peter Pan on Ice is gliding into the Bath Forum and Theatre Severn Shrewsbury, and it’s promising to whisk audiences from the cosy Darlings nursery straight into the wild, untamed wonder of Neverland. Think flying children, swashbuckling pirates, and a crocodile that just won’t quit.

Running from 23 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 in Bath, and 20th to 24th January in Shrewsbury, this is a full-scale theatrical spectacular on real ice. Yes, actual ice. On stage. Prepare to be dazzled.

Headlining the production is Dancing on Ice professional and 2025 champion Molly Lanaghan, bringing sparkle, sass and a whole lot of personality to the role of Tinker Bell. She’s joined by Olympic German figure skating champion Joti Polizoakis, delivering a fearless, fast-moving performance that pushes the boundaries of live ice entertainment.

And the stage? Transformed into a shimmering sheet of real ice, where Neverland comes to life right before your eyes. Expect edge-of-your-seat excitement as pirates clash, Lost Boys cause chaos, and Captain Hook battles in dazzling, razor-sharp duels. There’s world-class ensemble skating, jaw-dropping aerial flight, and the ever-present tick-tock of that lurking crocodile. It’s not just an ice show – it’s packed with humour, heart and unforgettable moments for all ages.

I caught up with Molly ahead of rehearsals to talk Tinker Bell, Neverland, and what Christmas means to her.

You’re playing Tinker Bell on ice this Christmas – what can you tell us about your version of this famously feisty little fairy?

We haven’t started rehearsals yet, we don’t start until mid-November, but I’m someone who loves characterisation. Even when I competed and on Dancing on Ice, I love getting a character and putting my own twist on it while staying authentic. I love acting and playing with the audience. Tinker Bell is very centre of attention – it’s all about me – so even when I’m at the back of the stage, I plan on being like, “It’s all about me back here.”

Tinker Bell is usually portrayed as tiny but mighty. How much of your own personality do you see in her?

I’m only five foot two myself, so I’m not the tallest one walking around. But everyone always thinks I’m taller until I stand beside someone and they look down and say, “Oh my god, you’re so tiny!” I just have big energy and big posture – I elevate myself so I don’t seem as small. That’s literally me. That’s how I live life. I work a room very well. It’s an easy job being Tinker Bell.

Peter Pan is a story about never growing up. What does Neverland mean to you personally?

There’s a beautiful innocence with children – such an open idea of the world being a good, safe place. I try to live with that mindset. You never know what other people are going through, so you can only control the controllable – your own emotions. Neverland and the whole “never growing up” thing is a fun way to tap into your inner child. Figure skating is my first love – I’ve done it since I was seven. When I skate and truly let go, it’s always for that little seven-year-old Molly who started out in Sheffield. It’s a nice way to connect all that together and give it to the audience. When you see people laugh and clap and smile and cry with you as you skate – there’s nothing like it.

What did Dancing on Ice teach you about yourself that you didn’t know before taking part?

Figure skaters do it for 20 years. You start as a child, fall in love with it, and then it becomes your job. We get wrapped up in the competitive world and almost lose the fun. By the time I finished competing, I didn’t have the best relationship with the sport – I was like, “I don’t want to put my skates on.” Then I went back to the UK and was approached very fast about Dancing on Ice. I started skating after watching that show as a child, so it was full circle. I expected it to be like the competitive world, but working with Sam one-on-one for two hours a day, I re-fell in love with the sport through him. I discovered things I didn’t know – like how talented I actually am. That sounds big-headed, but skating is really hard. I have so much respect for every celebrity who put themselves in that vulnerable position. It gave me a whole new respect for myself and I re-fell in love with it. It was the best job ever.

Away from the ice and the costumes, who is Molly? What do you love doing when you’re not performing?

Since I came back to Canada in February, I’ve been coaching at the school where I trained. When I stopped competing, I didn’t think I wanted to coach, but through the show I’ve fallen in love with skating again and now I have this whole new passion for coaching. I’m at the rink at 6:30am six days a week, working with kids until 10:30 or 11. We have a little school of ice dancers – teams from seven years old up to 24. I coach side by side with my two coaches who coached me, and the guy I competed with for seven years. It’s so exciting to share the love of the sport and pass down my knowledge. When I’m not at the rink, I love spending time with friends – spa days, shopping, making social media posts. I love reading and bedazzling things. I crystal everything!

Christmas is such a huge part of Peter Pan on Ice. What does Christmas look like in your own family?

My family is all in the UK and we’re very close-knit. On Christmas Eve, my dad puts on a feast – sometimes grandparents come over – and we all snack, have a few drinks, and watch Christmas movies. We always watch Gavin and Stacey Christmas specials, the Royal Family Christmas, Mrs Brown’s Boys – our old-school Christmas TV shows. On Christmas Day, we wake up, do breakfast together, presents together, grandparents come over for dinner. It’s a pretty chill Christmas – no big party. By about five o’clock we’re all showered and in our new PJs having some drinks and watching more Christmas movies. It’s my favourite day of the year. I love it.

If you could give your younger self one Christmas present – something that wasn’t a physical gift – what would it be?

I would go for younger, more like pre-10, and I would tell her to spend as much time with family as possible. Because she doesn’t know it, but at 18 she’s moving to Canada and she won’t see her family apart from one or two weeks a year. There are going to be Christmases… I moved away and was gone for seven or eight Christmases. I was only home on Christmas Day for two because I had nationals two weeks after Christmas. For the love of my sport, I sacrificed my favourite day of the year with my favourite people. I would just tell her: when you turn 18, your whole life is going to flip to the other side of the world. So spend as much time with them as possible. Even if you’re tired or bored, just sit with them. Do things with them.

If you could spend one day in Neverland, who would you take with you and what would you do?

I have two answers. One: I’d take my besties so we can have it together, make memories, and explore all the crazy things. A bunch of my closest friends are also figure skaters, so I’ve travelled the world with them – it would be fitting to take them to Neverland. I’m a girl’s girl. But then, selfish side: I’d take a good few books and get cosy by the water. I love being by water with green around me, just sitting and reading all day with a cup of coffee. Actually, I could do both – take my girls and we can sit and do that together.

Peter Pan on Ice runs at Bath Forum from 23 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, and Theatre Severn Shrewsbury from 20th to 24th January 2027.

For more information and tickets, visit www.peterpanonice.co.uk

Photographer: Anthony Fascione (AFPhotography)

Download London Mums magazine Christmas 2026 edition here