Presented by Adelaide Theatre Academy
Reviewed 6 March 2020
There’s a special treat on at this year’s Fringe for the young and young at heart. On Friday 6 March, Adelaide Theatre Academy launched its youth production of Peter Pan. Based on J.M. Barrie’s original play, the Fringe production included a musical score by Greg Stiles and Anthony Drewe, with amazing vocals from the young cast.
Held in the Norwood Concert Hall, the old world setting was perfect for this beautifully nostalgic tale of the boy who never grew up. The Darling family are all there — John, Michael and, of course, Wendy. Incidentally, the name “Wendy” did not exist before Barrie penned this tale. Tinkerbell was perfectly cast with her expert dance moves and hidden roller skates to create the impression of flight. The hero of the play, Peter Pan, was played exceptionally well by a teenage girl (as was the original part of Peter in the early 1900s), and Captain Hook was a standout villain in his long, curly black wig, flamboyant red coat and sinister hook.
Lots of effort has gone into this production from the elegant nursery opening scene where Peter looks for his lost shadow, to the rag-tag motley crew of lost boys and Tiger Lilly’s tribe in Neverland. Someone has gone to the trouble of making an impressive life-sized cannon for Hook’s ship, and the ship itself was present as a projected image backdrop. The pirates were certainly a hit with the youngsters in the crowd, as was the infamous ticking crocodile who ate Hook’s hand. A leg count indicated eight kids inside the giant green beast. Beautiful mermaids with blue hair singing on rocks and dastardly plots to do away with Peter Pan were all par for the cause. Sword fighting scenes were supplemented with strobing effects that made them quite spectacular (however, be warned that there is strobing several times in the play), and the sheer size of the cast created a wonderfully theatrical atmosphere.
It was lovely to be reminded of the simple pleasures of childhood and the boy who wanted them to last forever. The young cast are all to be congratulated on their production; faultless performances from all these up-and-coming stars. The only drawback to this show was its length — starting at 7.30pm, and extended intermission meant it finished after 10pm. This was a bit much for some of the younger kids in the audience but as my expert seven-year-old companion commented, the late night was worth it and that the “play was epic”.
Get along to the remaining shows and be reminded of a simpler time where imagination could take you anywhere.
Reviewed by Samantha Bond
Twitter: @SamStaceyBond
Rating out of 5: 4.5
Venue: Norwood Concert Hall
Season: 6-8 March
Duration: 120 mins
Tickets: $25
Bookings: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/peter-pan-af2020
More News
