Peter Pan
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Christmas comes early at Octagon with Peter Pan

The Octagon Theatre Bolton present a festive production of Peter Pan – which is one of the first festive productions to open in the North West.

Following the story of the boy who refuses to grow up, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys introduce Wendy Darling and her brothers to a magical world of adventure in Neverland - where children stay young forever and are free from adult rules. This fantastical land is home to mermaids, fairies and crocodiles, as well as swashbuckling pirates.

Last year’s festive production of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was the highest grossing production in Octagon history. Peter Pan is brought to life by the same creative team features original music performed live by a cast of  actor-musicians. The professional Company will be joined by a cast of local young performers who attended open auditions earlier in the year to win their places on the Octagon stage.

Octagon Associate Director, and Director of Peter Pan, Elizabeth Newman, commented on the production: “I am thrilled to be working with such a talented Company of actors; I know they will bring something special to this magical story. I’m also pleased to announce that we are continuing the Octagon tradition of having a young Company of actors performing in the festive show. And we’re having even more this year - a total of 18 local young people (two teams of 9 playing on alternate days) will be performing as Neverland children, Mermaids and Wendy’s brothers Michael and John."

Playing everyone’s favourite villain, Captain Hook, will be Christopher Villiers from the ITV soap Emmerdale, playing Grayson Sinclair from 2006-2008. Christopher returns to the Octagon following his performance here earlier this year as Sir Robert Morton in Terence Rattigan’s The Winslow Boy, directed by David Thacker.

He is be joined on stage by Sam Hargreaves in the role of Peter Pan. Stockport born, he has already worked at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, The Library Theatre Company and the New Vic Theatre since graduating from Drama School in 2010. This is his first time at the Octagon Theatre Bolton.

Playing the role of Wendy Darling will be Amy Noble, who has numerous television and stage credits to her name, including her role as Bobby in the Olivier Award-winning production of The Railway Children at Waterloo Station. She was also nominated for an Ian Charleson Award in 2007 for her role as Lily Wilson, in Chains at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond. Amy may also be familiar to some audiences from her semi-regular appearances in BBC 1’s EastEnders in the role of Lydia Asler; and as Becky Martin in Holby City.

J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan has been adapted for the Octagon by a team of writers from the Octagon Incubate new writing programme. The Octagon is committed to developing new writing and Director of the New Writing Department, Elizabeth Newman, has previously been recognised for her work, receiving the prestigious Writers’ Guild New Writing Encouragement Award at the annual Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Awards in 2011.

Peter Pan is at the Octagon from 16 November 2012 – 12 January 2013.

- by Glenn Meads

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