Peter Pan - Audio
by JM Barrie, adapted by Shaun McKenna
In the winter lockdown of 2020, an incredible all-star cast came together to create a unique audio retelling of JM Barrie’s enchanting classic, Peter Pan, in support of Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. The world premiere audio adaptation features the vocal talents of five-time Academy Award nominee Kenneth Branagh as Captain Hook, Academy Award winner Olivia Colman, Olivier Award winners Sharon D Clarke, Joanna Riding and Bertie Carvel, alongside Jane Horrocks, Jason Flemyng, Clive Rowe, and many more.
Members of the GOSH Young People’s Forum, including patients currently undergoing treatment and ex-patients, perform alongside the professional cast to sprinkle a little fairy dust this Christmas.
All money raised from the online adaptation will go directly to the charity to enable them to continue providing life-changing treatments for children and young people across the UK.
JM Barrie presented GOSH with the rights to Peter Pan in 1929 but with theatres closed and Christmas shows on hold in 2020, the hospital is missed out on the annual royalties and charitable audience contributions from stagings around the country.
Adapted by acclaimed dramatist Shaun McKenna, this imaginative musical production revitalises the art of story time with four half-hour chapters. Rehearsed over Zoom, recorded remotely, then mixed and mastered together with a fantastic score, Peter Pan is perfect escapism for the whole family, to be enjoyed with a large cup of cocoa before bed.
Liz Tait, Director of Fundraising at GOSH Charity said: “We are so grateful to the many stars who lent their voices to this creative audio adaptation of the timeless story of Peter Pan, alongside children and young people from the hospital whose contribution helped bring this tale to life in such a unique way. 100% of proceeds from the downloads of this adaptation will help us support seriously ill children from across the UK who are cared for at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and we truly hope that the families listening in the lead up to Christmas enjoy the comfort of storytelling together, after the challenging year everyone has faced. Thank you to everyone who downloads this adaptation, and to all those involved in its creation.”
All proceeds go to Great Ormond Street Hospital
“Charming, immersive, and a real treat for all ages.”
“It’s hard to believe that these snappy exchanges were rehearsed over Zoom and probably not even recorded in the same building.”
“In four half-hour chapters, director Tobias Deacon and his star-studded cast have created a bedtime treat to rival hot chocolate”
“The whole thing is in the tradition of great audiobooks like the BBC’s serial adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia: great children’s literature given the quality acting it needs to sing. Quite literally, too – the playful flutes and fiddles of Annabelle Brown’s score keep things tripping along nicely. ”
