Peter Pan Soars at Carleton University
It’s the classic story of the boy who refuses to grow up, leading a band of boys to battle pirates, while aided by a rather cheeky fairy. Carleton University’s Sock ‘n’ Buskin Theatre Company brings Peter Pan to life over the next two weekends, and does so delightfully.
Director Zach Counsil, a Rideau Award nominee, achieves a fine balance between presenting the upper middle-class domesticity of the Darling household, and the fantastical world of Neverland. He emphasizes the sense of make-believe and child’s play in the production, where days are spent hunting pirates and mermaids, food fights at the dinner table are mandatory, and during sword fights, pirates are killed and then get back up again at the end to fight another day.
Ashley Robinson as Peter Pan ably leads the 35-strong cast with a boyish bravado and daring-do, continuing a long-held theatre tradition of casting a woman in the role. Robinson, a student in the University of Ottawa’s Theatre department, has obviously been paying attention in swordfighting class, bringing an effortless physicality and skill to the play’s assorted fight scenes.
Jody Haucke is the second lead, playing the dual roles of the daffy George Darling and the villainous Captain Hook. As the pirate leader, he’s mad, bad and dangerous to know, Shakespearean in his delivery, and all but twirling his mustachios as he relishes the character. There is a real sense of danger in the fight scenes with Peter Pan, which keeps the audience on the edge of its seat.
Amber Melhado plays Wendy, the surrogate mother the Lost Boys long for. She makes the most of a potentially thankless task of acting out everyone’s mummy fantasies, with maturity and a deft sense of comic timing.
While Tyler McClure deserves a special mention as the main comical foil to Captain Hook, all of the actors who make up the various ‘gangs’: Peter Pan’s Lost Boys, Captain Hook’s pirates, and Tiger Lily’s Indians must be congratulated on their ability to bounce off one another, allowing each other their moment to shine. It is a shame, though, that the Indians were not allowed more stage time, and indeed more to say and do. Blame J.M. Barrie for that oversight.
An amusing touch was the improvised repartee between pirates during scene changes; one to watch for is Chris Wardell and his naughty tiger puppet.
The sets by Phil Johnston contrast the safe world of the Darling nursery, with the fantastic and often dangerous world of Neverland: the Lost Boys’ forest grotto and the mermaids’ harbour deserve special mention for ingenuity.
The costumes are highly imaginative, ranging from Peter’s Puck-inspired forest wear, to the beautiful gowns worn by Mrs. Darling, an Elvis-wannabe pirate, sexy mermaids and Indian warriors, and Captain Hooks’ 18th century frock coat and feathered hat (which deserves a role of its own).
The fight choreography is of the Errol Flynn school of swashbuckling, very physical, and in close quarters, looks damned dangerous. Everyone gets into the act with great gusto, no doubt spurred on by the accompanying soundtrack of heroic Hans Zimmer film music.
It is not a perfect production: the cast on opening night were still coming to grips with props and trying to make unobtrusive backstage exits and entrances, but they are all so obviously enjoying themselves, that the audience is swept along for the ride. I give this production two enthusiastic hooks up.
Peter Pan is playing now at Carleton University’s Kailash Mital Theatre
January 21-23, January 28-30 at 8:00pm
Matinée on Sunday, January 24 at 2pm
Tickets:
Available at door or by reservation
Students, Children, and Seniors $10/ General Admission $14
To reserve tickets or for more information, call 613-520-3770 or email snbreservations@gmail.com
Photo credit – Jenny Downing on Flickr
Tags: carleton university, Peter Pan, sock 'n' buskin, Theatre
