Theatre Review: Peter and the Starcatcher

Peter and the Starcatcher

By Rick Elice

Music by Wayne Barker

Based on a novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Director David Morton

Photo credit Daniel Boud

Capitol Theatre

Reviewed by Ron Lee, CSP, MAICD

According to the media release, Peter and the Starcatcher is a whimsical, adventure-filled play that explores themes of identity, friendship and the power of imagination, while also setting the stage for the classic Peter Pan tale.

Lord Leonard Aster is transporting a trunk of magical starstuff to Rundoon on his ship The Wasp, but pirate captain Black Stache captures Aster, thinking he has the trunk. Little does he know, the trunk has been switched out by Bill Slank, captain of a ship called The Neverland. On the Neverland, Aster’s daughter Molly befriends Peter, an orphan boy, Ted and Prentiss. After some events, Peter is given his name, the Neverland is wrecked, and the survivors, including Peter with the trunk of starstuff, Molly and the orphans, end up on an island, while Stache plots to capture them and the starstuff.

On the island, the orphans are captured by the Mollusks, but Molly saves them using the starstuff. Peter learns from a mermaid that starstuff can transform him, and he adopts the name "Pan". Stache lures Peter and the orphans into a trap, but Peter trades the starstuff trunk for Molly’s safety. After learning that the starstuff has dissolved in the water, Stache accidentally loses his hand and flees. The orphans are welcomed by the Asters, but Peter, affected by the starstuff, can't leave with them. He stays on the island with the orphans and names the island Neverland. After saying goodbye to Molly, Peter takes flight, beginning his journey as the boy who never grows up.

Some well-known performers were brought together for this pirate panto. 

Peter Helliar is the loveable and cuddly Smee who interacts with the audience much less often than I have seen with other Smees. Olivia Deeble as Molly reminds me of Hayley Mills in all of those English movies from the sixties.

Paul Capsis as Bill Slank and Hawking Clam at times looks like the illegitimate son, or daughter, of The Joker and Phil Spector, and when he dons the blue cap, he could be Dickie Knee.

Colin Lane, from Lano & Woodley, is Black Stache. Lane and Capsis each make Jim Carey seem like a master of understatement, which is fine for a panto.

As Lord Aster, Alison Whyte is outstanding as usual. Her character comes across a bit like a talented Julia Morris. 

The puppetry from the Dead Puppet Society adds to the cartoon effect.