Comedian Peter Helliar Lends Some ‘Star’ Power to Peter Pan Prequel

Renowned Australian comedian Peter Helliar is set to enchant Brisbane audiences as he takes on the role of Smee in the upcoming production of Peter and the Starcatcher.

This imaginative prequel to Peter Pan delves into the origins of the beloved characters, offering a fresh perspective on their backstories.

Peter Helliar (The Project, Have You Been Paying Attention?) is joined by a star-studded cast including Otis Dhanji (Aquaman and The Unlisted) as Boy/Peter, Olivia Deeble (Home and Away, More Than This) as Molly and one of Australia’s most recognisable comedy faces, Colin Lane from duo Lano & Woodley, as Black Stache.

96five’s Ken and Nicky caught up with Pete about jumping into musical theatre and how the Brisbane shows feel like a homecoming for Peter and the Starcatcher.

“It’s a Broadway production that won five Tony Awards, which makes me a Tony Award winner, by the way” Pete joked.

“It’s the origin story of Peter Pan”.

“You find out how this orphan boy became Peter Pan, how Captain Hook became Captain Hook. You’ll see Tinkerbell, you see other characters from the world of Peter Pan and how they came to be, and it’s set in Neverland, so we get to see how Neverland was discovered.”

Despite his extensive career in comedy and television, Pete admits that venturing into musical theatre is a new experience for him.

“I told them very clearly, when they spoke to me about joining the cast, that I do not sing and I haven’t done much theatre before… they were not put off and they put me in.

“I’m pretty sure my microphone’s down when we’re all singing, to be honest.”

“I play Smee, and he can’t really sing, so that’s my excuse.”

“There’s a lot of Queenslanders in the cast and we see this as a bit of a homecoming.” Peter Helliar

The production also boasts a strong Brisbane connection, with many local talents contributing both on stage and behind the scenes.

“There’s like, almost 100 puppets I think you’ll see on stage – there’s giant crocodiles, dancing flamingos, fish… all made in Brisbane by a local company called Dead Puppets Society.

“Disney as I’m sure you’re aware, are very careful and guarded with who they give their licences to and they gave Dead Puppets Society, the licence to do a new production of this of this play and they’ve been blown away.” 

“Disney came out to watch it and they loved what they’ve done. The original version on Broadway was quite low fi and this is visually lush and it’s it looks stunning.” 

Pete further praised Brisbane’s creative scene, noting how “there’s something in the water in Brisbane”.

“There’s something creatively in the water with the Bluey guys and the Dead Puppet Society”

“There’s a whole bunch of creatives up here that are doing a lot of things right.”

Peter and the Starcatcher will be playing at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) from March 14 to April 6, 2025. Tickets can be purchased online.

Listen to the full interview with Peter Helliar in the player above.

Feature Image: Peter Helliar in Peter in the Starcatcher / Photo by Daniel Boud, supplied by Dead Puppets Society