Beloved Australian comedian and television personality Pete Helliar will take centre stage in the highly anticipated production of 5-time Tony Award-winning, Peter and the Starcatcher. The Broadway smash hit will make its Australian premiere in October 2024 at Canberra Theatre Centre, ahead of a national tour.
Peter and the Starcatcher is the untold story of Neverland. Before Neverland, there was an Island. Before Captain Hook, a pirate. Before Wendy, her mother Molly. Before Peter, a nameless boy.
Taking on the role of Smee, Helliar loved for his screen work on The Project and Have You Been Paying Attention? And soon to be seen on Taskmaster and The Amazing Race (Network TEN), will bring his iconic and relatable Aussie humour and charm to the production.
Originally developed by Disney Theatrical Group and written by renowned stage writer and 4-time Tony Award nominee Rick Elice (Water for Elephants, Jersey Boys, The Addams Family), with music by Wayne Barker, this all-new production is directed by Helpmann Award-nominated Australian director and Dead Puppet Society co-founder David Morton (Holding Achilles, The Wider Earth).
Helliar joins an already star-studded ensemble cast including Otis Dhanji from blockbuster Aquaman and Netflix hit The Unlisted as Boy / Peter; one of Australia’s most recognisable comedy faces Colin Lane from duo Lano & Woodley as Black Stache; and television star Olivia Deeble, known for roles on Home and Away, More Than This and Secret Society of Second Born Royals, as Molly.
Also featuring in the Peter Pan prequel story is Alison Whyte (Death of a Salesman, Groundhog Day The Musical, The Dressmaker) as Lord Aster; Paul Capsis (La Cage aux Folles, Head On, The Rocky Horror Show) as Slank and Hawking Clam; Ryan Gonzalez (Moulin Rouge! The Musical, In The Heights) as Fighting Prawn; Hugh Parker (The Office, The Family Law) as Captain Scott and Morgan Francis (Boy, Lost) as Prentiss.
Reimagined for Australian audiences, this highly anticipated version of Peter and the Starcatcher blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, traversing oceans of mystical mermaids and lands of curious creatures.
This produc8on is a major coup for interna8onal Brisbane-based produc8on and design house Dead Puppet Society, led by Creative Director David Morton and Executive Producer Nicholas Paine who, in an Australian first, has been granted a license by Disney Theatrical Group and Music Theatre International (Australasia) to stage a new version of the Tony Award-winning production.
Dead Puppet Society is joined in presenting this production of Peter and the Starcatcher by the London-based Glass Half Full Productions, currently with major productions running on both Broadway and the West End; JONES Theatrical Group, the team behind the current Australian tour of Chicago and upcoming Sydney season of The Book of Mormon; and Damien Hewitt, co-producer for Girl From The North Country and Liz Kingsman: One Woman Show.
Peter and the Starcatcher is written by Rick Elice with music by Wayne Barker. This new Australian production is directed and designed by David Morton with musical direction and additional music by James Dobinson, movement direction by Liesel Zink, lighting design by Ben Hughes, costume design by Anna Cordingley, and sound design by Matthew Erskine. Completing the production team is casting director Michael Topple, creative producer Nicholas Paine and associate director Matt Seery.
Jump on board this theatrical spectacle bursting with 100 unforgettable characters, live music and technical wizardry, and discover the untold story of Neverland.
Peter and The Starcatcher will premiere at Canberra Theatre Centre in October 2024, followed by seasons at Arts Centre Melbourne, Adelaide Festival Centre, Sydney’s Capitol Theatre and Queensland Performing Arts Centre. For more information, visit: www.peterandthestarcatcher.com.au for details.
Image: Pete Helliar (supplied)