James and the Giant Peach
July 3 through July 20, 2003
Directed by Will Neblett. Adapted for the stage by David Wood. Based on the book by Roald Dahl.

Reviews

By Ben Hooker
San Diego Playbill

From the fun, weird, twisted, and incredible imagination of Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, and Matilda, comes the new stage version of James and the Giant Peach. David Wood adapted this popular book for the stage, which is currently making its North American premiere right here at San Diego Junior Theatre!

The story follows that of a young boy named James Henry Trotter, recently orphaned after his parents met a tragic end courtesy of a runaway rhinoceros. Suddenly his happy life is lost as he becomes the child-slave of his two awful aunts who never miss an opportunity to lavish him with chores, punishments, and insults. Then comes a mysterious man who gives James a bag of magical “marvelous things,” glowing green things that accidentally end up in the soil of an old, dead peach tree. The next day the dead tree boasts an enormous peach as big as a house, with a host of giant, talking insects inside who are about to take James on a remarkable adventure that pits his wit and cleverness, and the bravado of his new insect friends, against all sorts of outlandish situations.

This live, theatrical reproduction of Dahl’s book is an entertaining and magical romp filled with an astonishing number of amazing and creatively designed staging techniques and all manner of magnificent visuals. A humongous rhinoceros lumbering across the stage. A new invention called “Peach Vision” that allows you to see what is happening inside the peach when it is closed. A beautiful and mesmerizing underwater scene featuring schools of swimming fish and other exotic marine life. Flocks of seagulls that carry the peach to safety. Not to mention a rolling peach that proves very dangerous to any cruel aunts who happen to be in its path, among other technical marvels. Director Will Neblett and his fantastic group of designers and crewmembers deserve enormous praise for this undertaking that they pulled off so flawlessly and artistically.

Then you have Margaret Hagar’s creatively designed costumes that bring to life a giant grasshopper, ladybug, spider, earthworm, and a centipede with 42 boots on his feet, as well as the ghastly outfits of the evil aunts, all complemented with the terrific make-up work by Pam Stompoly.

Within those costumes and behind that make-up are a great group of young actors – Matthew Maretz as the clever and loyalJames, Christopher Lange as the affluent-sounding Grasshopper, Pia Tuchscher as the adorable Ladybug, Hannah Leavenworth as the wise and quick-thinking Miss Spider (who is adorable too, despite being a spider), Erin Petersen as a very vain centipede who likes to exaggerate the number of feet he has, and a hilarious performance by Kevin Barber as the blind, pessimistic, and grudgingly brave Earthworm who has to act like bait to ensnare hundreds of earthworm-eating seagulls. And then there are those awful aunts! Erin Burke and Amanda Barber are a riot as the cruel, wicked, selfish aunts who are living the good life with poor James as their servant – but just watch out for that peach...