I have a confession to make. In my 20 years of life, I’d never watched Peter Pan.
Should I be ashamed of this childhood failure to become equipped with one of the most beloved and well-known stories of all time?
This was all up until I was transported into the magical world of Neverland, thanks to the locally operated Hills Musical Theatre company’s musical production of Peter Pan. And this, I can guarantee, is a far greater way to experience the timeless tale of staring at yet another screen for an hour or so.
Arriving at Model Farms High School, the hall which hosts all the amateur theatre company’s showcases, various members of their team greeted me: Gloria, the director, and Gemma, who conducted the on-floor band.
The expansive band harmoniously compliments the theatrical performance, with a touch of gold sprinkled throughout two performances. This venue is an excellent choice, where the elevated stage ensures a full view wherever you sit. It was a nice change of scene to be supporting young, often first-time local actors at the grassroots level. I am glad that an organisation like the Hills MTC exists to provide such opportunities for budding actors like Western Sydney University’s (WSU) very own Claire Watson. She amazed the audience, metamorphosing across the characters of a pirate, Nana the dog, and the crocodile. Credit must be given to the team’s costuming, which made this a seamless transition for our university’s talented performers.
“I had a fantastic time playing three characters, which were Nana, the crocodile, and a pirate, and would recommend that people either become involved in the community theatre company or watch our shows,” commented Claire.
Moving across settings beginning with Wendy’s bedroom, the audience is engaged in the immersive experience across locations to the forest, ship, and beyond. Special effects appeal to the senses throughout the story. It will keep checking your emotions, integrating humorous modern references to KFC & Specsavers; then, instantly, you’ll be touched by the boys longing for a mother like dear Wendy. Much of the heightened emotion one experiences can be attributed to the evocative choreography coupled with well-recited voices and backgrounded by the musical band.
The key message I took away regarding the power of positive thinking is surmised by my favourite lyrics, “Just think of lovely things and your heart will fly if wings forever”, which proves all too true with this production that leaves me with nothing but praise.
From Peter’s shadow’s movement to Tinkerbell’s cheekiness, audiences of all ages are sure to be delighted in this crowd-engaging theatrical wonder that’s not to be missed!
