Creativity is born in the mind that imagines...

Wonder. Imagination. Fun. Curiosity. Play. Imagine a backyard fort built by ferocious, dirty runaways. Grimy. Snotty. Noisy. Messy.

Close your eyes and imagine, close them tight and pretend as you take off on a wonder-filled trip to NeverLand, where Peter and the lost boys never want to grow up.

Our Secondary students of Belmont Christian College proudly present JM Barrie’s timeless tale of the boy who refused to grow up. With a score by Stiles & Drewe and a book by the late Willis Hall, Peter Pan whisks the Darling children beyond the stars to his island where there are “no tedious distances between one adventure and the next”.

This year's production builds upon the foundation of two accolades from the 2018 Secondary production of Beauty and the Beast where our cast was nominated at the local CONDA Awards for Best Acting and Best Choreography; and, winners of Best Acting at the 2018 Junior Theatre Celebrations.

After the highly successful musical by the Primary School in 2019, we look forward with anticipation to being treated by the Secondary School’s production of Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure.

Children have been delighted with the wonder of Peter Pan for over a century and without exception, our version of this festive adventure will be enjoyed by the whole family. “Close your eyes and imagine, close them tight and pretend as you take off on a magical trip to Neverland, where you never grow old.“ JM Barrie’s timeless tale of the boy who refused to grow up is an adventure where Peter Pan whisks the Darling family’s children beyond the stars to his island where they go from one adventure to the next and meet colorful characters including the Lost Boys, Tinker Bell and, of course, the dastardly Captain Hook. 

Whilst this is a secular musical, it contains many Christian concepts with which we can identify. Life itself is an adventure!

God has great adventures for our lives and it is exciting when He puts dreams and desires in our hearts. God didn’t plan for us to live timid and boring lives. He wants us to be strong and courageous, unafraid to try new things. I’m constantly surprised to see how God works through a person who boldly trusts His plan.

When God asks you to leave the familiar behind and to set out on any new adventure, let His Word encourage you to keep moving forward. When you step into what God has for you, His anointing makes the impossible possible.

Why should you live a boring life when there’s a great, adventurous life available to you.

What you see in these performances has involved many, many hours of planning, rehearsal and ‘blood, sweat and tears’. So many students, parents and friends of the College and Secondary staff have been involved in the preparations for this production. It involves a lot of behind the scenes people and activity. You will see many of their names in this program, however, there are many more people involved. I would like to say a huge thank you to each and every person who has contributed in some way to the success of this musical, allowing our students to be able to enjoy the gifts that God has given them.

To God be the glory! Amen.

london town is strangely ill-at-ease. Rumours abound that babies have gone missing from their perambulators and, as darkness falls, city workers hurry home to their families.

In the Darling House, in a backwater in Bloomsbury, Mr and Mrs Darling wish they didn’t have to go out for the evening, but needs must. Leaving their children, Wendy, Michael and John, under the watchful eyes of Lisa, the maid and Nana, their Newfoundland dog – they reluctantly bid their brood goodnight.

As silence descends on the nursery, a small ball of light, no larger than a gentlewoman’s fist, enters the room – it is Tinker Bell. The mischievous fairy flits frantically about as if searching for something.

Moments later, the windows swing open and Peter Pan flies into the nursery. Wendy is awoken and helps Peter to reattach his shadow and, with the promise of regaling Peter and the Lost Boys with bedtime stories, she is invited to accompany him on his flight home.

Wendy can’t leave her brothers behind, so she wakes John and Michael and with a sprinkling of fairy dust, the children join Peter Pan and Tinker Bell as they fly out of their nursery window and across a moonlit London.

But Never Land is not as care-free as Peter had suggested. There are bloodthirsty Pirates, warrior Indians and malevolent Mermaids – and above all, there is Captain James Hook, Peter Pan’s Eton-educated nemesis who is forever followed by a deadly, ticking Crocodile. Bloomsbury seems another world away…

Welcome to the show! We are so thrilled that you are here watching live theatre, despite the remarkable setbacks we have all endured this past 18 months. We at Belmont Christian College are so pleased to bring this story to life on stage in this modern rendition of a wonderful tale- Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure.

This year's production builds upon the foundation of two accolades from the 2018 Secondary production of Beauty and the Beast where two of our leads were nominated for Best Female Performance as well as a nomination for Best Choreography; and, winners of Best Acting at the 2018 Junior Theatre Celebrations.

This show has been a unique adventure. It’s been a huge journey, which started two years ago while our Primary production of Seussical Jnr was on the cusp of performance. It was painful to bring the production to a halt in 2020, knowing that this would rob some of our very talented students of an exciting opportunity, especially those Year 12 students of 2020 who took part in the show.

We are grateful to have had the opportunity to have a second chance at bringing this show to life and count the huge blessing it is to participate in such an exciting cultural event, despite the challenges still very present in other parts of the world.

Stepping out of the stringent COVID season has presented many challenges in putting this show together. One of which has been to bring out the commitment and performance readiness needed for our cast and band performers. After almost a year of no performance, it’s been a risk for students to return to the stage and invest in a team activity once more. Our students have risen to the task and developed so many key attributes that make a show go from good to great. They are focused, well mannered, risk-takers, articulate and passionate performers. Congratulations cast and band.

Of course it takes an exceptional teacher to inspire this sort of culture in young people, and we are continually amazed by the wealth of experience and giftedness that our Director and Choreographer, Mrs Naomi Stewart, brings to our Secondary production. Not only does she bring creative direction to the show, but inspires and commands students with grace, patience and kindness.

We have an enormously talented production team who have worked for hours each week for the past six months (or what feels like 18 months!) to build and make what you’re enjoying today. To Kiri Oliver, thank you for the remarkable costumes; Mr Cain Sanchez and Mr Ben Boyce, for a solid, practical set; Mrs Liz Troyer for the perfectly placed props and set dressing; Mr Neale, for the wonderful work in Music Directing; Sophie Annesley, thank you for the work in coaching the cast’s singing. There are many more who have contributed to our performances today and we are grateful for each one of you.

This show has centred around our ability to imagine, and so lastly, we are thankful to God, for the amazing gift of imagination he has given to each one of us. While Peter Pan may inhabit a world where he never wants to grow up, we as believers look forward to God’s Kingdom that is here but not yet fully realised, Our imagination allows us to see how things could be and therefore to partner with God in the work of bringing more of His kingdom to earth.

In June 2019 I was driving to Sydney listening to Stiles and Drewe’s version of Peter Pan - A Musical Adventure. The music instantly evoked images in my mind of my three young children, in my backyard, with sieves on their heads, wooden spoons in hand, mud on their face and an unbridled zest for creating and playing. Every parent can attest to the joy that swells in your heart as you watch your children, amongst creation, engaging their God given imagination.

As the music continued to play, I began to ponder: How could I capture the beauty of children's play on stage? How could I awaken wonder and stir imagination in the audience members who would attend this show? How could I create a show that celebrates the ability of creating, after all, we are made in His image, and He is the master designer and creator? How could I provide a platform for students to experience

joy, delight, encouragement, and unity? How could I help students to learn that hard work, dedication and commitment reaps rewards, even when it is not instantaneous?

At the same time as embarking on this journey of Peter Pan for 2021, I was reading a book called “Awaking Wonder” by Christian author Sally Clarkson. After cancelling our 2020 production, I was acutely aware that our students had spent a year being constantly reminded of what can go wrong in this life; diseases, isolation, fear, community lock down. I wanted their musical experience to remind them that we can still be filled with delight, goodness, and hope, even amongst challenging times.

“Child development experts tell us foundations often determine long-term outcomes. To give a child the gift of time to imagine, to dream, to create, to engage, and to wonder is to allow time and space for his heart to be touched by the beauty surrounding him, for his mind to have room to grow strong on the feast laid out for his imagination and for his emotions to bathe in the tranquility of a peaceful life in an unhurried rhythm. Then we offer a feast of theology, math, story, literature, faith, science, nature, art, music and culture upon which to apply his wandering and wonderful mind. To lay this foundation is to give our children beauty and strength of imagination and the strong pleasure of learning and acquiring knowledge over a lifetime. Wonder is the catalyst in shaping a. powerful, engaged intellect.” Sally Clarkson

It is a significant commitment to be a part of a production such as this. Each student has shown great capacity to commit, respect, grow, listen, learn and encourage. Yes, a musical is about allowing our students to shine and use their performance skills that they have been gifted with, but it is an opportunity for students to gain life skills that can be used in a variety of situations.

What a true reflection of Christ’s body. Each unique person, doing their part, working together as a team to accomplish a shared vision. The cast, crew, production team and our many parent volunteers have worked tirelessly to bring this story to life for you. I am honored to be a part of this College community.

Act two

11. "Look Back Through a Rose-Tinted Eye Patch" - Smee, Captain Hook and Pirates
12. "Just Beyond the Stars (Reprise)" - Wendy
13. "One Big Adventure" - Peter Pan and Wendy
14. "The Cleverness of Me (Reprise)" - Peter Pan
15. "When I Kill Peter Pan/Good Old Captain Hook (Reprise)" - Captain Hook and Pirates
16. "One Big Adventure (Reprise)" - Peter Pan
17. "A Pirate with a Conscience" - Captain Hook, Smee and Pirates
18. "The Fight" - Captain Hook, Peter Pan, Wendy, John, Michael, Pirates and Lost Boys
19. "Just Beyond the Stars (Reprise 2)" - Storyteller and Mrs. Darling
20. "There's Always Tomorrow" - Peter Pan and Londoners