I was so excited to be asked to review opening night of Peter and the Starcatcher! Everyone loves the story of Peter Pan and this show takes us back in time to discover his story before he became Peter.
The moment I saw the set I was immediately amazed! It was so beautiful and breathtaking with the most prettiest lights scattered around.
The first act was great because it introduced us to the wonderful characters and we found out there were two ships called Neverland and Wasp. There were also two trunks. One was filled with magical starstuff which Lord Aster (played by Alison Whyte) was trying to take to destroy as it was very powerful. Lord Aster’s daughter Molly (Olivia Deeble) meets three orphan boys, Boy/Peter (Otis Dhanji), Prentiss (Morgan Francis) and Ted (Benjin Maza) on the ship and they become friends. When the pirate Black Stache (Colin Lane) tries to steal the trunk with starstuff, Molly and the three boys help save it. There are so many hilarious and interesting characters they meet along the way.
One of my favourite parts was the incredible puppets by Dead Puppets Society! There were so many different types from sparkly fish to bright butterflies and a huge crocodile! I loved seeing them appear on stage and they were so amazing. You won’t believe your eyes!
I also loved the great costumes especially the mermaids. They were so funny and I loved their fantastic song and dance routine at the start of Act 2.
All the actors played their roles so well and there were some super funny parts that made me and the audience laugh so loudly.
Olivia Deeble was a stand out for me especially as this is her debut theatre performance and I have grown up watching her on my favourite TV show, Little Lunch. I loved her acrobatic skills and how well she played her role. She was really exciting and fun to watch.
I thought Otis Dhanji played the role of Boy/Peter so wonderfully as you really believed he was a young boy and made me feel sad for him as he was a poor orphan who had never been loved. I loved him a lot.
Alison Whyte (Lord Aster) was such a great actor and I loved when she spoke in Dodo. She is so great on stage!
Lucy Goleby played the role of Molly’s Nanny Mrs Bumbrake and she did the accent so well and was also very funny and made me laugh a lot.
One of the most hilarious actors was Colin Lane who played Black Stache. He was so entertaining and sometimes would talk to the audience and everyone would laugh so much. I think he’s a fantastic actor and I know you will love seeing him too.
Pete Helliar played role of Smee who worked for Black Stache and he was also really funny and great to watch. He played lots of other characters too.
John Batchelor (Alf/Teacher) is another amazing actor. My favourite part was seeing him as the giant mermaid! You will love seeing this too! He was so fantastic.
Paul Capsis (Bill Slank) played his role so perfectly! He said the most hilarious things and funny gibberish words I’ve never heard before that made me laugh so much.
Morgan Francis (Prentiss) and Benjin Maza (Ted) both played the roles of the lost boys so well. I loved how they made you really believe they were orphan boys. Keep an eye on Ted and his pineapple! He was too funny.
Hugh Parker (Captain Scott) and Ryan Gonzales (Fighting Prawn/Sanchez/Grempkin/Mack) both were amazing in their roles also. Really strong characters that made you notice them in every scene.
I thought it was so great how they used cast members to become different characters to add to each scene. It was really clever!
One of the most wonderful things was seeing the musicians on stage the entire time and they became part of the story and set. I loved seeing them laughing also at some very funny parts of the show, especially when the audience was calling out.
The beautiful sets and lighting were so important to the whole show and made the experience so special and truly magical. The Director David Morton, Musical Director James Dobinson and Movement Director Liesel Zink have worked so well together to bring this beautiful story to stage.
This is a wonderful family show that everyone can go and see and absolutely love! You will have the best time and want to go back to see it again and again just like I do! It’s like a theatre show and a comedy show all in one where absolutely anything can happen, especially magic! Breathtaking, beautiful and a spectacular show.
I hope you enjoyed reading my first theatre review! Peter and the Starcatcher is playing at The Arts Centre, Melbourne until 1 December. Tell your friends and don’t miss out on this amazing show. I promise you will love it!
