By Jaco du Plessis

Ask every young boy what superpower he desires and the answer you will most likely get, is to fly! We all know of a young boy who can do just that, Peter Pan. This classic, originally created by author J.M. Barrie in 1904, gets a revival from Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer, just in time for the winter holidays.

I love classic theatre stories, characters that I grew up with and the magic that originates from places like Neverland. Getting to see Peter Pan was even more magical this time round, as the theatre was located inside the Canal Walk Shopping Centre, which transformed their Centre Court into Wonderland for the holidays. It is like our own fantasy world, where we can be transported to an enchanted place, where anything is possible.

After getting used to the hustle of the mall activities, the blue glow of a quiet Neverland sets the scene for the opening sequence. The stage is strangely flat, with a universe of stars painted across a canvas. Like Neverland though, things are never quite as they seem… The beautifully designed grandiose set and costumes, paired with the direction by Abrahmse and Meyer makes for a show that is a treat for not only the younger generation, but also those whom are young at heart.

The Darling children, played by Jenny Stead as Wendy, Kyle Jardine as John Darling, and Luke Tyler in the role of Michael Darling, are introduced in their home, just as their parents are about to leave for the Opera. We get our first peek of Peter, albeit his shadow, as Ms. Darling manages to trap him inside a toy trunk. Also featuring, are the talents of Bianca Flanders as the Princess Tiger-Lily, Roberto Kyle as Panther, Stuart Brown and Roland Perold as the Lost Boys.

Peter Pan, played by the dashing Grant Almirall, is no stranger to the South African stage, with credits to his name like Singin’ in the Rain and an award winning stint as Frankie Vallie in the hit, Jersey Boys. Pan makes his first grand entrance onto the stage flying into the room, accompanied by the energetic Tinkerbelle, danced by newcomer Raine Waring who, happens to be a ballerina in this adaption. This magic all around, cared for smiles on all the faces around me.

As the story goes, Peter convinces Wendy and her brothers to join him in Neverland, to entertain the boys with his stories and fulfilling Wendy’s wish to be their mother. Whisked away to Neverland we get to meet the other lost boys, the beautiful Princess Tiger-Lily and her sidekick Panther. The introductions turn to song and the whole cast is as cheerful as they can be. The scene then changes as we finally see the stage come to life with the center section opening up to reveal the Jolly Roger, its evil Captain Hook, played by Marcel Meyer and the always on-hand first mate Smee, played by Dean Balie. This brilliant use of the set almost frames Captain Hook’s mad schemes in such a way, it sets them apart from the rest of cheerful Neverland.

Here we get a short version of what happened to Hook and why he now has a hook for a hand. This part of the story wouldn’t be the same without encapsulate the threats of the crocodile that fed on Hook’s hand. This production of Peter Pan, doesn’t disappoint to produce this somewhat cuddly, yet ferocious beast.

The modern telling of this classic tail does not fail to enthrall the viewers and none more so, than the flying antics displayed by Peter Pan. Pity that the rest of the lost boys and the Darling children don’t get to share in this wonderful experience. Looking up at Almirall performing Pan’s aerial acrobatics to gymnastic perfection, makes the audience anticipate Tinkerbelle to sprinkle her magic dust upon them, to enable them to fly. The story engages the audience in ways that makes you feel as though you are part of the show in more ways than just being a casual viewer; you get to clap and make Tinkerbelle come to life, after she drinks the poison that was meant for Peter – I do believe in fairies, I do, I do!

Peter Pan runs from 1 July – 23 July. Tickets, priced at R80, may be acquired from the Centre Court Ticket box or Computicket. Unreserved seating necessitates those with young children to ensure seats are taken up early at the venue, so the little ones can get an unrestricted view of the stage. They don’t want to miss one second of this exciting story.

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Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and the Darling children will transport theatregoers to the magical Neverland to be amazed by all its wonders during the winter holidays this year. The young, and the young at heart, will be entranced by the mysterious mermaids from Mermaid Lagoon; the beautiful Indian Princess Tiger Lilly and her brave Panther; the fun loving Lost Boys and the oh-so-evil Captain Hook and his band of pirates aboard the Jolly Roger, who will lower the anchor for a sojourn at the Canal Walk Shopping Centre (CWSC) Theatre from 1 July – 23 July 2017.

J.M Barrie’s much loved classic, Peter Pan, returns to Centre Court at CWSC in a spectacular original musical by award winning duo, Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer, who regularly have their work presented to critical and public acclaim on stages across Europe, America and in South Africa.

A talented, star-studded cast, together with breath-taking sets, magnificent costumes and a gathering of beautiful puppets, will bring Peter Pan to life:

Leading the line-up of stars is Grant Almirall in the title role of Peter Pan. Almirall’ s numerous stage credits include the lead role in Singin’ in the Rain in South Africa, Australia and Japan and an award-winning performance as Frankie Vallie in the Broadway hit, Jersey Boys.

The award-winning and ever youthful Jenny Stead stars as Wendy. Ms Stead has won praise for her performances both in musical theatre and dramatic roles. Recent stage credits include Janet in the Fugard’s hit production of The Rocky Horror Show and Maid Marian in Canal Walk’s 2016 production of Robin Hood.

Marcel Meyer stars as the evil Captain Hook. Meyer, regarded as one of the top classical actors of his generation, has many credits including acclaimed performances as Hamlet, Iago, Romeo, Oberon and other classic roles both abroad and at home.

The supporting cast features an equally impressive line-up; the multi-talented Dean Balie [Kat and the Kings, Blood Brothers] as Smee; Bianca Flanders [Orpheus in Africa, Blood Brothers, District 6 – Kanala] as the Princess Tiger-Lily, Kyle Jardine [Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Cabaret] as John Darling, Luke Tyler as Michael Darling, Roberto Kyle [Twelfth Night] as Panther, Stuart Brown [Snow White] and Roland Perold [The Pitch, The Great American Songbook] as the Lost Boys.

Rounding out the cast, in the magical role of Tinkerbell , is effervescent newcomer, Raine Waring.

Peter Pan has always been affiliated with the spirit of giving since author J. M Barrie bequeathed the rights to Peter Pan to the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London to help raise funds for the hospital. Keeping with tradition, CWSC, which has raised hundreds of thousands of Rands for charity over the 17 years it has hosted the theatre, will donate proceeds from this production to the LEAP Science and Maths Schools initiative. This is in addition to the sum of R250 000 that will be donated by the Hyprop Foundation.

Further to the donation of theatre funds, extra support for this worthy cause will be generated through the building of a giant mosaic made out of tins of food. Once again celebrating Madiba’s legacy, members of the public are invited to help transform the Food Court at Canal Walk Shopping Centre with the building of this mosaic artwork on 18 July 2017. Theatregoers and shoppers are also invited to donate-a-can to the cause, by dropping off one or more tins of food at the Toys R Us store in Canal Walk.

Merlin Norman, Marketing Manager at Rhodes Food Group, a sponsor for the Mandela Day festivities, commented: “Rhodes Food Group is committed to giving back and making a difference in our communities. We are therefore proud to participate again in the upcoming Mandela Day at Canal Walk by contributing Rhodes canned food products to the Mandela Mosaic Project.”

Make a date to escape to Neverland by booking tickets through: www.computicket.com or at the venue.

Reminder: Every tin counts – so bring a tin of food along and the organisers will add it to the mosaic building kit to make the image bigger and better than ever. Tin donation point will be at the Toys R Us store, near the Centre Court at Canal Walk Shopping Centre.

Peter Pan

Saturday, 1 July to Sunday, 23 July 2017

Tuesday to Sunday at 11am, 12.30pm and 2pm

Canal Walk Theatre – Central Court

R80 – Book at Computicket

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