Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure

Peter Pan
A Musical Adventure
MusicGeorge Stiles
LyricsAnthony Drewe
BookWillis Hall
BasisPeter Pan
by J.M. Barrie
Productions1999 Copenhagen
2001 Royal Festival Hall concert
2002 Royal Festival Hall concert
2002 Philadelphia
2007 Birmingham
2008 Leeds
2015 West End concert

Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure is a musical based on J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, with a book by Willis Hall and music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.

Production history

The musical had its world premiere in Danish at the Det Ny Teater, Copenhagen in 1999.

In 2001, it was presented as a concert at the Royal Festival Hall, London by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, directed by Julia McKenzie and Jonathan Butterell starring Sheila Hancock as the Storyteller, John Thaw as Captain Hook, Jenna Russell as Mrs Darling, Laura Michelle Kelly as Wendy (with her real-life brothers Jorim and Nathan as Michael and John) and Joe McFadden as Peter Pan. The recording was broadcast on New Year's Eve on BBC Radio 3.

Following the success of the concert, a semi-staged version ran for 6 weeks at the Royal Festival Hall over 6 weeks for Christmas 2002, starring Richard Wilson as Captain Hook, James Gillan as Peter Pan, Susannah York as the Storyteller and Lotte Meyer as Wendy.[1] The musical also made its US premiere at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia in winter 2002.

In November 2007, the musical received its full staged premiere over the Christmas season at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, directed by Rachel Kavanaugh and starring Peter Caulfield as Pete Pan, Gina Beck as Wendy, and David Birrell as Captain Hook receiving positive reviews. The following Christmas season, the production transferred to the West Yorkshire Playhouse starring James Gillan as Peter Pan (reprising the role from the 2002 Royal Festival Hall production), Amy Lennox as Wendy and David Birrell as Captain Hook (reprising the role from the 2007 Birmingham Rep production), again receiving positive reviews. A cast recording featuring the Leeds cast was released in 2009.

On Sunday 25 October 2015 a one-off concert version of the show was performed at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End starring Bradley Walsh as Captain Hook, Sheila Hancock as the Storyteller, Ray Quinn as Peter Pan and Jenna Russell as Mrs Darling.[2]

In 2018, the show was staged at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, directed by Amber Mak with revised book by Elliot Davis.

The musical has since been performed in many countries worldwide by both professional and amateur theatre companies.

Musical numbers

References

  1. ^ Kate Bassett (29 December 2002). "Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure, Royal Festival Hall, London". The Independent. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  2. ^ "Peter Pan – A Musical Adventure in Concert – Adelphi Theatre". musicaltheatrereview.com. Retrieved 24 January 2016.