Peter Pan Goes Wrong is a wonderfully chaotic theatre show that focuses on the mishaps of stage production in a Peter Pan theme. They say that in film in order to break the rules of cinema you must know them first, and the same can be said for theatre. Peter Pan Goes Wrong is everything it needs to be, entertaining, surprising and very captivating - it breaks the rules of theatre in more ways than one. You really don’t realise what you’re in for with Peter Pan Goes Wrong, sure you’re aware that there’s reference to Peter Pan but for newcomers that may as well be it if you haven’t seen any video content or trailers promoting the show.
The opening night for Brisbane was at the Conservatorium Theatre at Griffith University, South Bank on the 30th of January 2019. As a newcomer to the production series and style myself, it’s safe to say that I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from this production and more so what it had to do with Peter Pan of all things. Chaos is one thing, controlled chaos is another. We all know the gist of Peter Pan, with Tinker Bell, Wendy and the rest of it - but I’ll bet you’ve never seen it quite like this. Think a moving set, light rigs falling from the ceiling and Tink getting in on with Peter Pan, all the while The Crocodile is in love with Wendy. Think random audio tapes that play at the most inconvenient of times that introduce character dynamics like never before.
Following The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong is everything you’ve ever needed from a theatre play and more. Suitable for all ages, this show is bound to delight, shock, surprise and most importantly get you laughing. This production demonstrates that there is a real art to physical comedy. The sequences throughout the show are very complicated but clearly choreographed with expertise. Nightmarish accidents in this particular theatre setting occur nearly every 5-10 seconds but are handled smoothly and the show (and laughs) keeps rolling.
When the audience went to sit down for the start of the show, there were ‘crew’ members running around asking for hammers, or to check under our seats for said hammers. There was even one point where a lengthy cable was being fed through the crowd in order to connect it to the back of the theatre and ‘test’ it. Of course none of this is real, but it is highly convincing and simultaneously entertaining. Many of the accidents and scenarios that occurred were real, and with a few theatre tricks thrown into the mix highly effective, such as when Peter Pan would fly through the air with a visible safety harness and bump into part of the set and knock it down.
Well, it’s not just Twilight that can pull off having a love triangle with unusual creatures. With Peter Pan Goes Wrong it’s not werewolves and vampires in the mix but rather The Crocodile (yes, the one in the cave you probably recall from seeing the film) the fairy Tinker Bell, a human Wendy and Peter Pan the forever young boy himself. Although this time around things don’t turn out how you would expect and everything goes ‘wrong’. But what does that mean anyway? Maybe you need to see this fantastic show and find out why. You’ll soon find out that when things go wrong, they become a lot more interesting and catch you off guard as we audience members are pretty used to theatre going a certain way. Join in the fun where the theatre rule book is thrown out the window!
30th Jan - 3rd Feb
Conservatorium Theatre Griffith University
South Bank, Queensland
Joanna Letic