Director's Note

'Cause when you get there it feels perfect
And when you get there
It's a place where you wanna stay
Where you know that the world is ok' ¹

There is no mistaking the sincere sentimentality of this play's message, or the feelings of belonging it hopes to evoke in its audiences. Composers Pasek and Paul employ Roald Dahl's signature combination of irreverence and emotion to delight us with fantastical creatures, villainous grown-ups, and adventurous kids. In James and the Giant Peach, as with many Dahl stories, a young person is pitted against incredible odds, and must find new ways of moving forward to create a new life for themselves. In this case featuring a gargantuan peach, grown by magic, and a zany group of human sized insects.

However, when the play begins we find James alone in the world, with no family to help him understand life's obstacles and unfairness. So why did Dahl, and so many other children's writers, present orphan protagonists? What is it that we experience through that story, specifically? John Mullan writes that "The orphan is above all a character out of place, forced to make his or her own home in the world." By being set aside in this way, orphans come to represent "the efforts of an ordinary individual to navigate his or her way through the trials of life." ² James is our window into the world of the play, and he represents every audience member who has felt alone in grappling with their challenges. In the show James creates a found family, so the audience seems encouraged to do so as well, to make sure they have people in their life to share the beauty as well as the difficulties.

After the unexpected hiatus of the pandemic, this cast is delighted to come together and tell this story. As they say in the opening moments, it will happen "right before your eyes." It is a wonderful tale in which ordinary things can transform, ordinary people can transform, and there is magic to be found if you are willing to make it happen.