AUT students to stage a 'raunchy' Peter Pan next month

Dreams do come true, if we only wish hard enough, JM Barrie said, and they are coming true for the AUT Performing Arts club with its newest self-written and 'risqué' production of a famous children's story.

Sophie Webster, the vice-president of AUT Performing Arts, is a co-director of its latest production, Peter Pan for Grown-ups.

The script is adapted from the classic 1911 novel by Barrie and a new take on the 1953 Disney film, Peter Pan.

“It’s a little bit raunchy, a bit risqué . . . it’s not your usual Peter Pan . . . It’s a musical as well, so lots of musical numbers as well," said Webster.

To raise funds for the production, the cast set up fundraising in Hikuawi Plaza recently, selling baked goods and sausage sandwiches, dressed up as characters from Peter Pan.

The stalls both had themes from the story and were called Tink’s Treats and Hook’s Sausage Fest.

“It’s entirely a student-led production. We have to get all the funds ourselves . . . we have a cast of over 30 people, and 10 to 20-person crew, [so] it’s pretty big,” Webster said.

“The funding we do have is from AUT Students Association. But the rest will help with costumes, set and props.”

The show has been in the works since the beginning of 2023 when the writing began.

“We’ve been rehearsing since June. It’s been a year-long effort writing it, putting it all together,” Webster said.

It is set to premiere in October. “There’s a lot to do, but so far it’s going well.

“We’re having so much fun. We have a group of 30 people who have come together. . . it’s cool to see how everyone has bonded.”

“A lot of hard work has gone into this. We want everyone to come and support us because sometimes the arts can be a little under-appreciated, especially at university,” she said.

“It’s funny and it's raunchy, but it has that same childlike spirit that Peter Pan has.”

Tickets are $15 for students and can be found for purchase on their Instagram account.