‘Make sure you wear tight undies’

In Peter Pan Goes Wrong, the hilarious stage comedy coming to Sydney in February, there is a lot of flying through the air in a contraption that wouldn’t be out of place in 50 Shades Of Grey. This journalist gave it a go and came out the other side — just.

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“Make sure you wear tight undies.”

Already nervous about having agreed to be strapped into a contraption — one that wouldn’t look out of place in 50 Shades Of Grey — to be flown high across a stage in Auckland, these simple words were of little comfort.

On the set of the hilarious Peter Pan Goes Wrong, the production conceived by British stage comedy company Mischief Theatre which lands at the Lyric Theatre in February next year, I was about to get a taste of what it feels like to be sprinkled with pixie dust and allowed to fly.

The cast of Peter Pan Goes Wrong.

Having watched the show at The Civic Theatre the night before and seen just how much a couple of the stars are flung about in this thing, there was an immediate appreciation for how much some actors suffer for their art.

As I was being strapped into the device by two of the backstage crew, I asked a few of those watching on if they’d had a go of flying over the stage.

In synch, they gave me a sympathetic smile — one you might give someone going in for lifesaving surgery who has little chance of coming out the other side — and said “no chance, mate”.

Strapped in and ready to go, the crew hooked up the sophisticated pulley system and started to lift.

It was at this point that I had that “make sure you wear tight undies” light bulb moment. Along with a realisation my offspring would be limited to the three I already have.

Once I got used to the fact my hips had to take on my entire bodyweight, it was actually a lot of fun, but ridiculously difficult — Peter Pan I am not.

Peter Pan Goes Wrong is the story of The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’s desperate attempt at staging the much-loved JM Barry story of the boy who never grows up. Unfortunately they’re not particularly adept and the result is two hours of mishaps, cast disputes and near-death experiences.

”Make sure you wear tight undies.” This is why...

Heavy stage lights crash to the ground, motorised sets get a mind of their own and at least one cast member ends up in a wheelchair.

When audiences see how actors such as Darcy Brown (Jonathan) and Adam Dunn (Trevor) pull off the aerial challenges demanded of them, they should spare a thought for how hard it really is up there.

Dunn’s bare bum plays a leading role in one scene involving the flying contraption that has the audience in stitches.

“Before this show, I could count the number of people who had seen my bum on one hand,” he says backstage during one performance.

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“Now it’s been seen by thousands — I’ll never get used to that.”

Resident director and one of the production’s stars Luke Joslin, who will direct the return of musical In The Heights at the Opera House next month, was drawn to Michief Theatre’s unique brand of comedy.

As with many of the cast, he was involved in last year’s hit The Play That Goes Wrong which won Best New Comedy at the Olivier Awards after it launched in London in 2015.

It features the same fictional theatre company trying to put on a 1920s murder mystery with hilarious consequences, and is an actor’s “dream”, says Joslin.

Connor Crawford, who plays Dennis...who plays Hook.

“I grew up with shows like Fawlty Towers, Black Adder, those sorts of great English comedic shows with that kind of feel,” he says. “The opportunity to have this two hours of heightened fun. As an actor it’s kind of a dream.

“Peter Pan Goes Wrong is very similar to that slapstick-style of comedy.”

The show has elements of a British-style pantomime and the actors work the audience before the show even begins.

Dressed like stagehands, they appear to be performing general tasks in preparation for the show but it becomes increasingly more obvious that something else is at play. A wave of awareness can be felt as the audience catches on.

This pre-show build-up also gives the audience licence to interact with the actors as the real performance begins.

But this is more than just slapstick comedy, according to Francine Cain, who plays Sandra in the show.

“It has elements of pantomime but it’s beyond that — there are real moments with drama,” she says. “We’re playing two characters and you can see the heart of this group wanting to pull this show off so badly and there are so many moments where you capture that.”

Darcy Brown plays Jonathan who plays Peter Pan.

The comedy is multidimensional with that slapstick style mixing with darker humour, meaning it’s as accessible to an eight-year-old as it is to an 80-year-old.

“Maybe the kids might not get some of the jokes but they’ll certainly get the slapstick,” says Connor Crawford, who plays Dennis. “We’re always injuring ourselves so it’s always going to make people laugh.”

Given Sydney’s recent stage diet of old favourites such as Evita and Jersey Boys, Peter Pan Goes Wrong promises to be something markedly different.

The show’s most recognisable face, Jay Laga’aia, believes the unpredictability of the show and the inherent danger that comes with such theatrics has played a huge part in why the production — and its predecessor — have been so successful in the UK and why he is confident local audiences will love it.

“There’s just danger everywhere while these guys are still trying to plod through with the narrative of this story which I think is just hilarious,” he says.

PETER PAN GOES WRONG, SYDNEY LYRIC THEATRE, FROM FEBRUARY 13, PETERPANGOESWRONG.COM.AU