I had the pleasure of getting a little behind the scenes action if you will of the live action Peter Pan 360 Tour. Before one of their opening nights they invited us out to see the warm up of some of their scenes before the play started and let me tell you I was impressed!
What is Peter Pan 360?
Created by acclaimed Scottish novelist and playwright, J.M. Barrie penned PETER PAN, The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up; a timeless tale enjoyed by the world over. Peter flies into the London nursery of the Darling children, Wendy, John and Michael, teaches them to fly and leads them to the magical island of Neverland, “second to the right and straight on till morning”. Here Peter introduces the Darlings to a fantastical world of adventure with Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys and the notorious Captain Hook.
The story of PETER PAN has been adapted many times across film, musicals and television, however, it was not until this production that J.M. Barrie’s PETER PAN was performed in London’s Kensington Gardens. The very place where he was first inspired by the Llewelyn Davies children to weave his tale of daring imagination and adventure; and where the original statue of PETER PAN has stood since 1912. The summer of 2009 marked the first time in over 100 years, J.M. Barrie’s PETER PAN returned home for the world premiere of this spectacular stage production!
In its second stop on the tour in Houston, this limited engagement play immerses the audience with a round theatre where images are projected on to the screens behind the seats. The round stage means there really aren’t many bad seats in the house since the actors play to all sides of the stage. I got to experience Peter Pan 360 the first time without my kids and loved it so much that I bought more tickets to take my kids to see it.
The flying was by far my favorite part. You felt as though you are moving through the air from the Darling house to Neverland as the scenes on the screens move with the actors. There is some acrobatics on a pole that are mind blowing as you just think about the strength it takes to get up and stay up on it. All of the characters are fabulous and play their parts well.
I don’t want to give too much about it away, but if you can go see it and take the whole family. It will be in Houston until October 4th then will be moving on to Dallas. Don’t worry there may be more dates and cities added soon or at least I hope there are since this is a great quality play that will appeal to all ages.
Looks like great fun!