Audiences will take an “unforgettable” journey through the Neverland they never knew when Northampton’s Royal stage is transformed for the European première of Peter and the Starcatcher.
Winner of five Tony Awards on Broadway and one of the most produced plays in America in 2015, Peter and the Starcatcher is the prequel to Peter Pan. It features Starcatcher apprentice Molly embarking on a mission to stop a precious cargo of stardust from falling into the wrong hands.
Thirteen actors will play more than 100 characters to whisk audiences to a world of lost boys, pirates and mermaids.
Heading the cast as Molly is Evelyn Hoskins who played Nicky in Tim Firth’s This is My Family, which toured to Northampton in 2015, and Carrie in Carrie the Musical, based on Stephen King’s novel, at Southwark Playhouse, also in 2015.
Michael Shea makes his professional stage debut as Peter. Greg Haiste, last seen at Royal and Derngate as Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol in 2012, plays pirate leader Black Stache. Dan Starkey is his sidekick Smee.
The ensemble cast also features Marc Akinfolarin, Lewis Griffin, Ian Harris, Tendayi Jembere, Michael Matus, William Pennington, Sebastien Torkia, Miles Yekinni and Tom Attwood who is also musical director.
Luke Sheppard directs. His credits include Sue Townsend's The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4, The Musical at Leicester’s Curve and Oliver! at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury, both in 2015.
Peter and the Starcatcher is written by Rick Elice, with music by Wayne Barker. It runs at Royal and Derngate from Tuesday (29 November) until Saturday 31 December.