THE fairies have brushed their wings, the pirates’ have worn in their patches, and there is one large crocodile who can’t seem to get rid of an aching tummy that goes tick tock, tick tock.
The Armidale School’s Hoskins Centre will be transformed into Never Land next week when all Junior School students take to the stage for Disney’s Peter Pan JR, a truncated version of JM Barrie’s classic tale and the Disney film about a boy who wouldn’t grow up and a girl who has to. After finding his shadow in the Darling family nursery, Peter teaches Wendy, Michael and John how to fly and sweeps them off to Never Land, where they meet Lost Boys, mermaids, indians and, of course, pirates. If the children are ever to return home, Peter must defeat Captain Hook with the help of Tinker Bell and her fairy friends. Peter Pan JR features classic songs from the 1953 film such as ‘You Can Fly!’ ‘Following the Leader’ and ‘The Second Star to the Right’ as well as songs from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and the 2008 Disney film Tinker Bell. Students from the very youngest four year old fairies in Transition to the ‘pirates’ in Year 5 have been working hard since the start of last term to make the first Junior School show for many years a success, Director Mrs Leasa Cleaver said. “For some students it is the first chance they have had to be on stage and experience the magic of theatre, and Peter Pan is certainly a delightful and imaginative production,” she said. “Having all of the Junior School children collaborate and work together across the year groups has been one of the most rewarding aspects.” Elaborate costumes and a set painted by local artist and former staff member James White bring colour and imagination to the show.
Peter Pan JR will be staged on Thursday and Friday 26 and 27 November, with performances at 12 noon and 6pm each day. Tickets are avaialable through the Hoskins website www.as.edu.au/hoskins. For more information on this release contact Tim Hughes on 0409 662 420.
