Peter Pan, Singapore Style

WHO WAS PETER PAN? And how did the boy who never grew up come to be in Neverland? A thrilling new musical by acclaimed theatre company Pangdemonium tells the origin story of the magical flying boy, who started off as a nameless orphan before finding his way to Neverland. We get to know the backstory of other characters too, such as Wendy's mother Molly, Tinker Bell and the nefarious Captain Cook.

Peter And The Starcatcher, which opens at the Drama Centre Theatre in September, stars some of the country's brightest stage actors including Adrian Pang, Thomas Pang (no relation to Adrian) and Daniel Jenkins.

While it was originally a 2004 Disney novel adapted for the stage by Rick Elice with music by Wayne Barker, the Singapore production has reimagined it as a story set in South-east Asia, complete with indigenous tribes, pirates and mermaids.

Director Tracie Pang says: "When Disney gave us the rights to do Peter And The Starcatcher, they were encouraging us to be creative, and take a fresh look at it that would hold true to the story but sit well in South-east Asia."

The events are set in 1885 in the Straits of Malacca, which was then plagued by pirates and smugglers. Tracie Pang says: "We have taken inspiration from British, Chinese and Malay period and traditional costumes. In the rehearsal room, we work with instruments listed in the score, but we'll see if we can also introduce traditional Asian instruments too." Neverland, according to this production, is "a tropical island somewhere in the South China Seas".

Adrian Pang will play the younger version of the much-loved villain Captain Hook - except that in this origin story, the character is known as Black Stache (short for "moustache") and still has both his hands. Adrian Pang says: "Black Stache is the last remaining pirate still terrorising the Straits of Malacca in 1885, while the others having been forced into 'retirement' by the British colonialists in the region.

"With our adaptation of the play being set in South-east Asia, my interpretation of Black Stache will be of a Singaporean rogue with ADHD, who escaped poverty-stricken Singapore as a child to join the piracy business. Stache has grown up with pretensions towards British culture and foppishness, which explains his ridiculously coiffed moustache, and his constant malapropisms."

He jokes: "I don't think I've ever played a character who is so over-the-top - unless you consider some of my past dramatic roles on Channel 8."

Meanwhile, the titular Peter Pan will be played by acclaimed young actor Thomas Pang, who this year took the prize for Best Actor at The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards. The cast is all-male except for the actress in the role of Molly, the woman who would one day give birth to Peter Pan's friend Wendy Darling.

True to its practice of introducing new talents to the stage, Pangdemonium has cast newcomer Carina McWhinnie as Molly. The attractive young acting graduate from Lasalle College of the Arts says: "It was at first a bit daunting to be the only female cast member surrounded by so much testosterone. But now it feels freaking fantastic... Oh, and I don't have to share my dressing room with anyone."

The publicity posters are beautifully illustrated by Eisner-winning Sonny Liew, making them likely collectors' items for fans of Pangdemonium and the cartoonist.

Peter And The Starcatcher runs from Sept 28 to Oct 20 at the Drama Centre Theatre. Tickets from Sistic.