Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Announces PETER PAN Cast Including Fiston Barek & Dennis Herdman

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre have today announced casting for Peter Pan (17 May - 15 June). A revival of their 2015 Olivier Award-nominated production, Peter Pan launches the 2018 season in the final year of the First World War Centenary Commemorations.

For the wounded soldiers of WW1, imagination is their only escape. Yet as they're transported to the fantastical lagoons and pirate ships of Never Land, allegories of the war they've left behind are everpresent. George Llewelyn Davies, later killed in action in 1915, was one of the children who inspired J. M. Barrie to create the iconic character of Peter Pan. Remembering him, and a generation of Lost Boys, the production enchanted young and old alike during its original, critically acclaimed run.

Kids go half price at most performances.

Fiston Barek takes the title role of Peter Pan. Recent credits include King Lear (Old Vic) directed by Deborah Warner, and The Rolling Stone (Orange Tree / Manchester Royal Exchange). Other credits include Routes and Truth and Reconciliation (Royal Court) and Love the Sinner (National Theatre).

Dennis Herdman plays the role of Captain Hook. Recent credits include Around the World in 80 Days (UK Tour); The Lounge (Soho Theatre); The Winter's Tale, Pericles, The Oresteia, Measure for Measure,The Night of the Burning Pestle (Shakespeare's Globe); A Mad World My Masters (RSC / ETT); The Secret Agent (Theatre O / Young Vic); and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Told by an Idiot / Svenska Teatr). Television credits include: Knightfall (A & E Studios), Brum (Ragdoll/BBC), City Central, Close Up North and The Anorak (BBC).

The roles of Wendy, John and Michael are played by Cora Kirk, Theo Cowan and Omari Douglas.Cora Kirk made her professional debut in 2017 in the lead role of Irina in The People Are Singing (Manchester Royal Exchange) and recently played Lucy in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe(West Yorkshire Playhouse). Theo Cowan has appeared in The Secret Garden (Theatre by the Lake);Comus (Shakespeare's Globe) and Absence of War (Headlong), having previously appeared at Regent'sPark Open Air Theatre in Lord of the Flies. Omari Douglas has recently appeared in Five Guys Named Moe (Marble Arch); Tristan and Yseult (Kneehigh / Shakespeare's Globe); The Life (Southwark Playhouse); Annie Get Your Gun (Sheffield Crucible), and returns to the Open Air Theatre having previously appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar.

Elisa de Grey plays/puppeteers the role of Tinker Bell. Her recent credits include Vivaldi's The FourSeasons A Reimagining (Sam Wanamaker); Running Wild (UK Tour); Goodnight Mr Tom (West End / UK Tour); No Way Out (Southwark Playhouse) and The Water Babies (Northern Broadsides).

The cast also includes: Sam Angell (Twin), Raphael Bushay (Nibs), Fred Davis (Twin), Caroline Deyga(Smee), Lewis Griffin (Tootles), Willy Hudson (Curly), Arthur Kyeyune (Pirate/Movement Associate), Kyle Lima (Starkey), Tim Preston (Slightly), Louis Quaye (Pirate), John Sandeman (Pirate/Fight Captain) and Ed Wade (Pirate).

Directed by Open Air Theatre Artistic Director Timothy Sheader (Jesus Christ Superstar, To Kill a Mockingbird, Running Wild) and Liam Steel (Lord of the Flies, Into The Woods), set design is by Jon Bausor who recently won the UK Theatre Award for The Grinning Man (Bristol Old Vic). Costume design is by Jon Morrell, puppet design and direction by Rachael Canning, composition and sound score by Nick Powell, lighting design by Rick Fisher, sound design by Nick Lidster for Autograph, fight direction by Kate Waters, casting by Polly Jerrold and musical supervision/musical direction by Candida Caldicot. The Season Associate Director (Voice and Text) is Barbara Houseman and Aerial Artistry and Technical Consultation is by Wired Aerial Theatre.

Other productions in the 2018 season at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre include Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw (22 - 30 June), in a co-production with English National Opera; Shakespeare'sAs You Like It (06 July - 28 July); Dinosaur World Live for ages 3+ (15 August - 9 September) and Little Shop of Horrors (03 August - 15 September), book and lyrics by Howard Ashman, music by Alan Menken, based on the film by Roger Corman with screenplay by Charles Griffith.

MORE outdoor events include The Guilty Feminist (15 July); Joe Lycett (22 July); Jimmy Carr (12 August); Simon Amstell (19 August) and The Luna Cinema present outdoor screenings of Spice World(26 August), The Greatest Showman (2 September) and Alien (9 September).

Visit www.openairtheatre.com for more information.