Did anyone happen to see the recent production of Stiles and Drewe's Peter Pan at West Yorkshire Playhouse (it was staged the previous Christmas season at Birmingham Rep). I did a search of any reviews on the board and found none. Based upont the pictures and few clips I have seen and the reviews I have found, I am very curious to hear any thoughts.
I saw it at the WYP, in Nov. I really enjoyed it. James was a wonderful choice for Peter, and the girl (cannot remember names) playing Wendy had a fantastic voice. The show was totally stolen by David Birrell's Hook and Mr Darling. I'd seen him in Spamalot before but hadn't really paid too much attention to him and now I've no idea why because his voice was out of this world and his acting was wonderful. The score was lovely, I particularly liked Something in the Air. The production was well done, the flying was v. well done, as were the various effects they used for Tinkerbell. The only 'disappointment' was the crocodile, the costuming was poor - the actors were wearing blue jeans that showed under the brown/green costume, and it felt a bit pantomimey but the children sitting all around me seemed suitably scared so it can't have been all bad.
I saw it three times, twice before Christmas and on the last night, I loved it =) The cast were all great, the dancing and singing was very good, it was really enjoyable. The pirates were my favourites! =)
I saw it at the Rep and LOVED it. Peter Caulfield was Peter, and very good he was to. Gina Beck (current Christine) was Wendy and (as she is now showing in Phantom) has a gorgeous voice.
I wish they would get a recording of the show as the music is great, some really memorable songs. A couple of songs can be heard on the Spoonfull of Stiles and Drew cd
Yes, I love listen to the Royal Festival hall concert on the Stiles and Drewe site. It is amusing, for me at least, to imagine Laura Michelle Kelly as Wendy. I was thrilled to read of the impending release recently, though the S & D site lists April as the release month.
I wish I'd been able to see either staging.. It looks miles past the drek that passes as Pan here in the states. In the context of panto, the lighthearted Pan works, but outside of panto, I want some grit and edge to it.. it is such a part of thetale, I am always annoyed when it is ignored.
"Something In The Air" and "There's Always Tomorrow" are my favourites in the score.
Can you provide more details of Tinkerbell? I read a one sentence statement thats he was a red spot, but that is so incredibly vague..
I was told March a while ago, so plans might have changed =) Tinkerbell was like, erm, a red laser that flitted around the stage, but the boys and Peter had these things on their thumbs that you couldn't see but lit up red when Tinkerbell was "on" them. It was actually pretty clever, as the light would go around the nursery at the beginning and knock over play bricks and open draws, pretty cool =)
Yes, I was on the S&D site last night and it listed April. Either way, I eagerly wait and hope I will get it herThe only time I have seen Peter 'hold' Tink was in the last (2005) Rigby tour and I wanted to throw something.. they used a decidedly 'low tech' Tink for the entire show - a finely focused spotlight, as opposed to the better lazer effect she has used in 1997 - until Peter picked her out of the Tinkerbell house, when she became, essentially, a light up tennis ball that was laughable at best.
I haven't been on the S&D website since the heady days of Just So at Chi. Didn't the Peter Pan audio clips on there then feature Joe McFadden? I'm going to have a look now...
I believe they did originally. I wish i could still hear those. Currently the website features the audio from the BBC radio broadcast of the Royal Festival hall concert production that featured James Gillan as Peter (he just reprised the role at West Yorkshire - the cast that will be on the album) and Laura Michelle Kelly as Wendy.
