Theatre

Behind the scenes of Peter Pan – The Never Ending Story

Peter Pan the Never Ending Story finished off its European tour last month in Rotterdam, and we were given the exciting opportunity to go behind the scenes of this arena spectacular that is set to hit UK shores this December.­

Not only did we experience the amazing show, which features high flying acrobatics, enchanting sets, and a free flying Peter Pan live on stage, but we were also given a sneak peek at how the show works behind the scenes.

We met producer Geert Allaert and musical director Matt Dunkley, who has worked on over 100 films and was the mind behind the musical escapade of Baz Luhrmann’s  Moulin Rouge, who used a similar concept when choosing the songs that feature in Peter Pan the Never Ending Story.

Matt:

‘The concept was he wanted to have a show with songs that already exist but use them in a way that advance the plot. I was the music arranger on Moulin Rouge and we did a similar thing there, so that is why he contacted me. We had a long list of different songs, but obvious ones that came early were ‘One Day I’ll Fly Away’ and ‘Dreamer’ then there were slightly more obscure ones such as ‘Forever Young’.

We also had the chance to meet to Peter (Sandor Sturbl),  Captain Hook (Milan Van Weelden) and Wendy (Lily-Jane Young) all of whom have to not only sing some of the biggest pop songs of our time, but fly around an arena whilst doing so.  Lily-Jane in particular is thrilled to be bringing the show to the UK, and particularly to play in front of a home audience in Glasgow.

Lily-Jane:

‘Growing up I always wanted to sing, I always wanted to dance, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that this is what I would be bringing back to Glasgow.’

It’s not often we get to see what actually happens behind/under the scenes, but it is truly amazing how a production of this size actually comes to life. It takes 50 actors, singers, acrobats and stuntmen, 300 props, 105 team members, 140 costumes and 18 projectors and cutting edge sky-diving technology which allows Peter Pan to fly without any rigging for the first time ever on stage.

Centre stage features a wind turbine which produces winds of up to 250 km/h sending a stunt Peter Pan way up into the arena’s atmosphere.  The show is literally told on a giant bookshelf, which transports you to Neverland via stunning visual effects and amazing props. Not to mention the giant crocodile, that brings jeers from big and small children alike throughout the show.

Peter Pan the Never Ending story opens in Birmingham on 14 December before heading to Nottingham, Leeds, Manchester, London, Glasgow and Newcastle. In each of these cities, there will be an exciting opportunity for little ‘Lost Boys and Girls’ from across the UK to get involved, with local children being chosen to take part.

Check out our behind the scenes gallery of the show below:

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