Peter & The Starcatcher, the first presentation on The Arts Club Theatre Company’s new Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre is a hit. The Peter Pan prequel has been such a success 16 performances have been added to its original run, the show much now close January 10th, 2016.
Most of us know about the boy who never grew up, but little do we know about how be became the hero of Neverland. Told in a style that gives the sense of children’s backyard antics, Peter & The Starcatcher is a lively adventure. Beginning with a high-seas pirate adventure in the first act the second act has the spirit of a 50’s matinee serial complete with dastardly villains and camp comedy. The Boy who never grows up is amiably played by Benjamin Wardle, making his Arts Club debut, lending a man-child quality to the part. His foil The Black Stache, a wicked albeit slightly illiterate pirate, is an over-the-top role inhabited by Colleen Wheeler. Rachel Cairns’ Molly is both the push out into a new world and also the anchor to his old life that the Boy needs. Throughout the play, the whole cast is on stage as they play all characters, sound effects, stage hands and musicians.
Peter & The Starcatcher continues on The Arts Club Theatre Company’s Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre, 162 West 1st Avenue, until January 10, 2015.