PETER PAN GOES WRONG, the funniest disaster
If productions could be labelled as over-achievers, then this show would definitely sit right on top of that category for all the best reasons. For two hours, I was gasping for air as I couldn't stop laughing. I feel sorry for the patrons sitting around me, as I'm sure their ears will be ringing for quite some time of my high-pitched laughter. After receiving a large donation from the uncle of a pompous actor Max, The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society return to Brisbane's shores with Peter Pan Goes Wrong and to say that it is hilarious is an understatement.
As soon as you enter the auditorium, you are transported into a world of chaos in which crew members are dashing about trying to fix 'everything' before the show starts. A crowd favourite was the assistant stage managers sweeping dirt off of the stage and onto the audience (although they did make sure that the audience members ducked) and the cast members interacting with the audience to pass a power chord from one end of the room to the other. During this period, I was also asked at least four times to look under your seat for a hammer, which turned out to be hiding side-stage the entire time.
I highly commend Henry Lewis, Jonathon Sayer and Henry Shields have the wickedest, sense of humour but it is Adam Meggido's formidable direction which makes the jokes land. Megiddo shapes each character with a totally different reaction to each mishap, which makes it funny. We can easily identify with the characters and that's what makes it so real and so relatable. The moments when I laughed the most was when Robert (Luke Joslin) playing Nana got stuck in the doggy door and eventually got so fed up that he stood up and walked out the door instead. Or, when Chris (Connor Crawford) couldn't find a spoon for the medicine, so he improvised by using a pair of scissors instead, through which the medicine (of course) fell onto the floor and not into the children's mouths. I loved watching Peter Pan's make each scene its dance floor, Tinkerbell becoming a laser pointer, cringe-listing to the audition tapes playing accidentally during scenes and the stage hand's reactions whenever they were caught fixing something, although I don't know if 'fixing' is the right word to be using... But, if I had to choose someone who made me laugh the most, it would definitely have to be George Kemp who played Dennis, an actor who was fed his lines through a headset and would quite often end up repeating things he wasn't meant to...
When the entire crowd joined in when Jay Laga'aia started playing the play school theme song on the ukulele, my heart melted and I couldn't help but join along. In totality, the acting was sensational; especially Tammy Weller who hilariously jumped between characters with such ease.
Simon Scullian's set was spectacular; a colourful pantomime-esque set revolving between the Darlings' Nursery, Captain Hook's ship and the Lost Boys' home featuring a range of clever tricks and traps for the actors to fall into. Tony nominee Roberto Surace's quirky costumes help create the pantomime atmosphere, with Tinkerbell's electrically charged fairy tutu, as well as Max's crocodile costume, being a stand-out.
This show is a whirlwind of shenanigans which will leave you laughing for days on end. It's clever, it's witty, it's funny and it's an experience that I know I will remember for quite some time.
Rating: 5 stars
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