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Alan hooked on Peter Pan
Evening Express, 24th April 2008
Soap nice guy is set to wow audiences as Hook
By Scott Begbie, entertainments editor
Neighbours star Alan Fletcher is simply hooked on Peter Pan.
Which is why he is so delighted to be shedding his good-guy image
as Dr Karl Kennedy to play Captain Hook at His Majesty’s
Theatre panto this Christmas. Alan, a star on the Aussie soap
for 14 years and a veteran hand at pantos, said: “I’d
done Peter Pan before and it’s not strictly the same as
some of your classic pantomimes.”
“It’s a beautiful musical play. Also, it’s
a play that makes me cry every time, as does the film and the
book. ”
“I think there is something intensely moving about the
notion of holding on to youth and the finding of love. It’s
a beautiful piece. ”
“Obviously pantomime is wonderfully entertaining when
you’ve got great comics, wonderful dames and all the great
gags for adults and children. But Peter Pan brings a different
type of magic to the theatre. ” Alan said he found that
in 2000 when he played Hook in Sheffield’s panto, produced
by Qdos, the same team behind Aberdeen’s festive treat.
“It is just magic for the children, ” he said.
“You look down at their little faces when they see Peter
Pan fly and they are absolutely enthralled. This is what theatre
should be about. It should be about showing children that theatre
has as much to offer as films and PlayStation. ”
Alan is no stranger to being the panto villain. Apart from
his previous stint as Hook, he has played Abanazar in Aladdin
and Fleshcreep in Jack and the Beanstalk. “Out of all of
them Hook is my favourite, ” he said. “There is an
enormous vanity there, matched by unbridled arrogance. But what’the
worst, most feared adult children can think of? Captain Hook.
”
His love of JM Barrie’work is obvious – as was his
delight on learning the writer’s birthplace is a mere 40
minutes drive from HMT in Kirriemuir. “Oh, I’ll definitely
be going there in my first week I’m over” he said.
Alan is looking forward to Aberdeen for other reasons. Mainly
because his Neighbours co-star Stefan Dennis, who played Abanazar,
has been raving about the Granite City.
“Stefan said he absolutely loved it, ” said Alan.
“He said the theatre is great and he raved about some of
the people he was working with, particularly the dame Alan McHugh.
“And he said the audiences were really enthusiastic.
” One aspect of working in Aberdeen in midwinter that won’t
faze him is the weather. Apart from previous panto stints, Alan,
who describes himself as a dedicated “muso” has also
toured the UK in the past few winters with his other project,
his band Waiting Room.
“I usually deal with your winters by keeping busy and
spending a lot of time in the gym.”
“I’ve heard about this SAD syndrome…but if
I had to point a finger at a race of people who seem to be the
happiest on earth, it would be the Scots.”
“With the Neighbours phenomenon we have backpacking
tourists coming to Melbourne to meet the actors, tour the set
and go along every Monday night to a pub to listen to my band.
I can tell you the only audience members who outnumber the Irish
are the Scots. Jeez, they know how to enjoy themselves. ”
Neighbours is, of course, what made Alan a household name.
And he loves it. “What makes Neighbours so enjoyable is
meeting the fans who love to tell you how much they love the
show, ” he said.
“I have people coming up to me every day and wanting
to talk to me about storylines or how much they enjoyed this
or enjoyed that. It’s a fantastic experience. ” The
show’s popularity hasn’t diminished with Neighbours
shift from BBC1 to Five.”
“We had a fantastic relationship with the BBC, ”
he said. “In fact, Neighbours wouldn’t have lasted
so long if it wasn’t for the support of the BBC. But Five’s
enthusiasm has been so strong that the ratings, pleasurably,
have held up brilliantly. ”
And as that success continues, Alan has no doubt that he will
forever be synonymous with his Neighbours character.
“Let’s just say I answer to the name of Karl, ”
he laughed.
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