Peter and the Starcatcher flies into Melbourne

The star-studded ensemble cast of Peter and the Starcatcher are flying into Melbourne, following a sensational premiere season at Canberra Theatre Centre. This hilarious swashbuckling prequel to Peter Pan will begin performances at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Playhouse on Friday 8th November.

The smash hit Broadway production, New York Times Critic’s Pick, and winner of 5 Tony Awards®, Peter and the Starcatcher has been reimagined for Australian audiences, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, traversing oceans of mystical mermaids and lands of curious creatures.

Following a 3-week run in Melbourne, Peter and the Starcatcher will continue its national tour, bringing magic and starstuff to audiences in Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane

This production is a visual spectacle bursting with 100 unforgettable characters, live music, technical wizardry, and over 90 puppets of all shapes and sizes. Escape to the fantastical world you never knew existed before Neverland, featuring some of Australia’s most famous theatre, television, and comedy faces including Pete Helliar, Colin Lane, Alison Whyte, Paul Capsis and Olivia Deeble.

Before Neverland, there was an island. Before Captain Hook, a pirate. Before Wendy, her mother Molly. Before Peter Pan, a nameless Boy.

Originally developed by Disney Theatrical Group and written by renowned stage writer and 4-time Tony Award nominee Rick Elice (Water for Elephants, Jersey Boys, The Addams Family), with music by Wayne Barker, this all-new production is directed by Helpmann Award-nominated Australian director and Dead Puppet Society co-founder David Morton (Holding Achilles, The Wider Earth).

The stellar cast includes Otis Dhanji from blockbuster Aquaman and Netflix hit The Unlisted as Boy / Peter; two of Australia’s most recognisable comedy names Colin Lane from duo Lano & Woodley as Black Stache and Pete Helliar as Smee; along with television star Olivia Deeble, known for roles on Home and Away, More Than This and Secret Society of Second Born Royals, as Molly.

Also featuring is Alison Whyte (Death of a Salesman, Groundhog Day The Musical, The Dressmaker) as Lord Aster; Paul Capsis (La Cage aux Folles, Head On, The Rocky Horror Show) as Slank and Hawking Clam; Ryan Gonzalez (Moulin Rouge! The Musical, In The Heights) as Fighting Prawn; Hugh Parker (The Office, The Family Law) as Captain Scott; Lucy Goleby (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) as Mrs Bumbrake; John Batchelor (Sea Patrol, Red Dog) as Alf / Teacher; Morgan Francis (Boy, Lost) as Prentiss and Benjin Maza (Stradbroke Dreamtime, Othello) as Ted.

This production is a major coup for international Brisbane-based production and design house Dead Puppet Society, led by Creative Director David Morton and Executive Producer Nicholas Paine, who in an Australian first, were granted a license by Disney Theatrical Group and Music Theatre International (Australasia) to stage a new version of the Tony Award-winning production.

Dead Puppet Society is joined in presenting this production of Peter and the Starcatcher by the London-based Glass Half Full Productions, currently with major productions running on both Broadway and the West End; JONES Theatrical Group, the team behind the recent Australian tour of Chicago and upcoming Sydney season of Book of Mormon; and Damien Hewitt, co-producer for Girl From The North Country and Liz Kingsman: One Woman Show.

Peter and the Starcatcher is written by Rick Elice with music by Wayne Barker. This new Australian production is directed and designed by David Morton with musical direction and additional music by James Dobinson, movement direction by Liesel Zink, lighting design by Ben Hughes, costume design by Anna Cordingley, and sound design by Matthew Erskine. Completing the production team is casting director Michael Topple, creative producer Nicholas Paine and associate director Matt Seery.

Peter and the Starcatcher will begin performances at Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday 8th November 2024, followed by seasons at Adelaide Festival Centre, Sydney’s Capitol Theatre and Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

An adventurous tale of friendship for all generations, a spectacular masterpiece that will hook you from the moment you let your imagination take flight.

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