Peter Pan Goes Wrong: What is the BBC comedy and who is in it?
You might not have heard of Mischief Theatre, but they’re bringing us one of the most hilarious hours of TV this Christmas.
We’re willing to bet you probably haven’t seen Peter Pan Goes Wrong in the West End.
If you have, you’ll know exactly how hilarious, innovative, clever and downright amazing Mischief Theatre are.
But if you haven’t, don’t worry. This Christmas, the BBC are taking the production straight from the London stage to the small screen so you’ll soon find out what all the fuss is about.
Below, we bring you everything you need to know about Peter Pan Goes Wrong.
What is Peter Pan Goes Wrong?
Originally a stage show in the West End by Mischief Theatre, the premise centres around amateur dramatic theatre group Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society putting on a production of Peter Pan.
Suffice to say, nothing quite goes according to plan. Actually, pretty much everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. Think in-fighting amongst the actors, poorly-constructed sets, wrong cues and crossed wires – literally and metaphorically. This is Peter Pan, after all.
What is Mischief Theatre?
Founded in 2008, Mischief Theatre began as an improvised comedy group by students of The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Their first production The Play that Goes Wrong has currently been running for three years in London and has scooped all sorts of awards. In 2014 it won the WhatsOnStage award for Best New Comedy, and in 2015 it won an Olivier Award for Best New Comedy.
This year their second production Peter Pan Goes Wrong earned an Olivier Award Nomination for Best New Comedy and their third production, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery is also currently running in the West End.
Who’s in Peter Pan Goes Wrong?
The instantly recognisable name in this production is David Suchet who’s playing the narrator. He hasn’t starred in the West End version of the show before, and the plot has been tweaked slightly to get him on board as the cast explain that the BBC would only give the theatre group a slot on TV with a big name attached. At least, we think they were joking…
Never the professional, David is more concerned with stuffing his pockets with food from the free buffet when he should be on stage, and stalling for time by recalling many an (unintentionally hilarious) showbiz story.
The ensemble cast of Peter Pan Goes Wrong is Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields, Dave Hearn, Harry Kershaw, Charlie Russell, Josh Elliott, Mike Bodie, Nancy Wallinger, Niall Ransome, Bryony Corrigan and Rob Falconer. It is written by Lewis, Sayer and Shields.
What are Mischief Theatre doing next?
A nationwide UK tour of The Play That Goes Wrong is going to kick off from January 2017, while the core cast will be kept very busy when the play is transferred to Broadway and produced by JJ Abrams. From March 9 next year, the show will be playing at the Lyceum Theater in New York.
Peter Pan Goes Wrong is on BBC One at 6.20pm on December 31
