FLOREAT ETONA

THE CURTAIN GOING UP IN  A THEATER, OR THE KILN DOOR OPENING ON A NEWLY FIRED GROUP OF WORK OFTEN PRODUCES THE SAME SORT OF HIGH ENERGY OR ADRENALIN RUSH. JUDI AND I JUST SAW THE GREAT MARTIN SCORSESE MOVIE ”HUGO”, MANY OF THE STAGING EFFECTS REMINDED ME OF BACKSTAGE AT PETER PAN.

THE WELL-EXPERIENCED ACTOR OR ACTRESS KNOWS BY BOTH INSTINCT AND EXPERIENCE HOW TO COACH THE BEST REACTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE. THE LIFT OF AN EYEBROW OR THE SNEERFUL RAISING OF AN  UPPER LIP WAS ENOUGH  FOR ALISTAIR SIM TO EFFECT A WHOLE RANGE OF EMOTIONS IN THE 1951 MOVIE OF SCROOGE OR CHRISTMAS CAROL. THIS MOVIE IS USUALLY SHOWN SEVERAL TIMES  OVER THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY PERIOD

ALISTAIR SIM AS SCROOGE.

ALISTAIR SIM AS CAPTAIN HOOK  AND MR DARLING IN THE 1961 LONDON PRODUCTION OF ”PETER PAN”. HE WAS THE FIRST CAPTAIN HOOK I WORKED WITH.

    ROBERT EDDISON,  SHOWN HERE IN AN INDIANA  JONES

     MOVIE WAS ONE OF THE BEST “HOOK”

    PERFORMANCES DURING MY TIME WITH THE  SHOW.       

                                                                                SYLVIA SYMS

                                                                              PLAYED PETER IN 

                                                                              1965

“THE HOOK”

“THE ADVENTURES OF PETER PAN” WAS FIRST SHOWN IN     1904 AND IT HAS PLAYED IN LONDON ALMOST EVERY YEAR SINCE FOR SIX     WEEKS OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON.  IT THEN GOES ON TOUR AROUND     VARIOUS THEATERS THROUGHOUT THE BRITISH ISLES FOR SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS.      THE STORY REVOLVES AROUND PETER, THE BOY WHO NEVER GREW UP. (I TOTALLY     RELATE TO HIM!). HE LIVES IN     NEVER-NEVERLAND, HEADING UP A MOTLEY     COLLECTION OF LOST BOYS. HE IS ALWAYS AT THE MERCY OF CAPTAIN HOOK     WHOSE HAND HE CHOPPED OFF AND FED     TO A FRIENDLY CROCODILE. PETER FLIES     BACK TO LONDON REGULARLY ON HIS OWN POWER OF MAGIC OR FAIRY DUST. ON     ONE VISIT, HE ENTERS THE OPEN WINDOW OF A LONDON MANSION, THE HOME OF THE DARLING FAMILY, MUM AND DAD, AND THREE CHILDREN, WENDY, JOHN AND     MICHAEL. HE IS ALMOST CAUGHT WHEN MR DARLING SLAMS THE WINDOW SHUT,     CUTTING OFF PETER’S SHADOW IN THE PROCESS. HE ESCAPES, BUT RETURNS AT     THE SAME TIME THE NEXT YEAR TO     SEE IF HE CAN FIND HIS SHADOW WHICH     WENDY HAS KEPT NEATLY ROLLED UP IN A JEWELRY BOX. HE GETS CHATTING TO     WENDY AND EVENTUALLY PETER, WENDY, JOHN, MICHAEL AND PETER’S FAIRY     FRIEND, TINKERBELL, PLAYED BY A HIGH-POWERED FLASHLIGHT, FLY OFF TO     NEVER-NEVERLAND. BESIDES CAPTAIN HOOK THERE ARE A STRANGE SELECTION     OF INEPT PIRATES AND A BUNCH OF INDIANS THAT MAKE UP THE LARGE     CAST.  THE     SHOW WAS HELD AT THE SCALA THEATER FOR MANY YEARS.

     PROBABLY THE BEST KNOWN PEOPLE TO WORK ON THAT STAGE WERE THE     BEATLES, MAKING THEIR FIRST MOVIE “HARD DAY’S NIGHT”. IT WAS FUN BEING     BACKSTAGE WITH THEM BEFORE BEATLEMANIA TOOK OVER. THAT EXPLOSION     HAPPENED     AFTER THEIR PERFORMANCE ON THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW OF 1965.

    PAUL’S GIRLFRIEND AT THE TIME WAS JANE ASHER, WENDY FOR TWO OF THE SIX     SEASONS I SPENT WORKING “PETER PAN”. THEY WERE FUN TIMES AND I WILL TELL     YOU MORE TOMORROW ABOUT “PAN” ON TOUR