Places please! Tony winner Neil Patrick Harris joins the company of Peter Pan Goes Wrong as Francis, the play's narrator, for a strictly limited run April 11 and continuing through April 30. The production, which began previews in March, is set to open April 19. Harris will not perform at the April 21 evening or April 22 matinee performances.
"I'm a massive fan of Team Mischief and physical comedy in general, so I jumped (fell?) at the chance to join their genius onstage," said Harris in an earlier statement. "That said, the role of the Narrator mostly sits in a chair and reads a book, so apparently no rehearsals are required. I guess that's fine... what could possibly go wrong?"
The Broadway bow also currently features original U.K. cast members Henry Lewis as Robert, Jonathan Sayer as Dennis (beginning April 30), Henry Shields as Chris, Chris Leask as Trevor, Ellie Morris as Lucy, Charlie Russell as Sandra, Greg Tannahill as Jonathan, and Nancy Zamit as Annie. They are joined by Matthew Cavendish as Max, Bianca Horn as Jill, and Harry Kershaw as Francis. The company will also include Ryan Vincent Anderson, Stephen James Anthony, Fred Gray, and Brenann Stacker.
A follow-up to The Play That Goes Wrong again written by Mischief company members Lewis, Sayer, and Shields, Peter Pan Goes Wrong sees the Cornley Drama Society back to present another play‚ J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, with yet more technical misfires. The work made its world premiere at London's Pleasance Theatre in 2013 and its West End debut in 2015 following a U.K. tour. The play was adapted as a TV special for BBC One in 2016, and made its North American premiere in 2022 at Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Canada.
The Broadway run reunites the work's original creative team, led by director Adam Meggido and including scenic designer Simon Scullion, costume designer Roberto Surace, lighting designer Matt Haskins, sound designer Ella Wahlström, and co-composers Richard Baker and Rob Falconer. The Broadway bow is being produced by Kevin McCollum, Kenny Wax, Stage Presence, and Catherine Schreiber.
Since Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Mischief has mostly relegated its Goes Wrong entries to the small screen. A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong aired on BBC One in 2017, followed by an 11-part series The Goes Wrong Show that aired in 2019 and 2021. A 2020 Christmas special, also on the BBC, saw the Cornley Dramatic Society stage the Nativity.
Visit PanGoesWrongBway.com.
