James  (Michael Gill)  Centipede (Michael Plummer),
Spider, (Katie Knipp), and Ladybug (Melissa Mason)

James and the Giant Peach

by Richard George
adapted from the book by Roald Dahl
directed by April-Dawn Gladu

Experience the graceful imagination of this Roald Dahl classic as a little boy and his magical friends journey across the ocean in a giant peach.

Click here for Reviews

PURCHASE ONLINE TICKETS

School Performances: February 17, 2005 - March 18, 2005
Weekend Family Performances: February 19, 2005 - March 26, 2005 

Part of the Darden Young Audience Series

Production sponsored by 

and sponsored in part by 
Orlando Sentinel Communications' 
One Book One Community program
Teachers receive a FREE BOOK! See below for details!

Media Sponsor: 

The Festival is proud to announce our partnership with the Orlando Sentinel's One Book One Community Program. Teachers, read the book with your students January 16 - February 25, 2005 and then bring your class to see the show. Each teacher will receive one copy of James and the Giant Peach when you pay your 50% ticket deposit. 

One Book One Community is sponsored by Orlando Sentinel Communications as part of its ongoing Reading by Nine literacy initiative. The campaign encourages children and adults to read the book James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl.

Glow worm (Lana Hancock) and Earthworm (AJ Stewart)

Weekend Family Performances 

James & the Giant Peach weekend performances on
February 19, 20, 26, 27, March 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27, 2005

Bring the family on Saturday afternoon and enjoy the fun and excitement! Meet the cast after the show and take a picture or get an autograph for your young romper! Each show runs about 50 minutes long.

• Saturday matinees - 2:00pm and 4:30pm.

• Sunday  matinee -  4:30pm. 

Contact our Box office at 407-447-1700 x 1 for tickets.
All Audience Tickets for children and adults: $10
Children under 2 years old may sit in a parents lap for free.

Weekday Matinees for School Groups

School Matinee Performance Days: February 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25
March 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 2005. All matinees for school groups are held on: 

• Tue, Thu, Fri at 10:00am and 11:45am 

• Wed at 10:30am

at the Lowndes Shakespeare Festival in Loch Haven Park, Orlando. 
School Group Weekday Student Tickets: $7 
1 free chaperone ticket for every 10 students
Tickets call 407-447-1700 x 1

Study Guides

Study Guides are available for all of our shows. 
Click here to go to our Study Guide Pages

Reserve your morning at the theater

Call the box office at 407-447-1700 x1, Monday ­ Friday from 9:30am-5:00pm.
Tell our friendly staff what day you would like to attend, how many students
you plan on bringing and how many chaperones will join the fun. We are
pleased to offer one free chaperone seat for every 10 student seats
purchased.

Confirmation Form

After you reserve your tickets, you will be mailed a Confirmation Form.
Please sign and return your Confirmation Form with a 50% deposit no later
than 30 days prior to your show date. This Confirmation Form is a binding
contract between the school you represent and the theater. Up to 30 days
prior to your show, you may decrease your number of reserved seats by
calling the box office with your new seat count. You may increase your seat
number at any time based upon availability. If your signed Confirmation Form
has not been received 30 days prior to your field trip date or you have not
decreased your seat count by telephone, the school you represent is
financially responsible for the estimated seat count being held under your
name.

Balance Due

A 50% deposit is due no later than 30 days prior to your performance. The
remaining balance is due 14 days before your performance.

Special Needs

To guarantee that all members of your group can be accommodated, please
request special arrangements when making your reservation.

Transportation

Please make transportation arrangements that ensure your arrival will be 30
minutes before the performance time. Late arrivals will be seated at the
discretion of the theater staff.

Lunch

We are located at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center in Loch Haven Park. Loch
Haven Park offers a grassy spot for picnics and relaxation for your group
before or after the performance.

Box Office    407-447-1700 x1

What the critics are saying:

"I do not know who enjoyed it more, the students or the teachers & chaperones!" - Heathrow Elementary

"You have enriched the imaginations of about 155 of some of my favorite people! Thank you again for all that you continue to do to make Orlando a much better place to live and work." -Little River Elementary

This is the third play we have taken the children to see and we are so happy to be able to offer them the experience of a live production. Most of our moms came along. We all feel the $7 admission is so affordable. We can't wait for our next field trip to the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival!" - The Learning Center

"Dear Hip Hop, I liked you the best. It was funny when you did the hip hop danc. I liked when the boy scerd you and Vevintieen Rabbit. Tack you. Love, Kate"

Jason Flora as Aunt Spiker, Michael Gill as James and Morgan Russell as Aunt Sponge

 REVIEWS

'James' is a Peach of a Show -- Whimsy Will Whisk You Away

The Orlando Sentinel
Excerpts from the review by Rebecca Swain Vadnie
Posted February 25, 2005

Who hasn't dreamed of a magical way to slip out of a stuffy classroom on a beautiful spring afternoon to play outside?  As a kid, there's something alluring about the idea of leaving the dreary everyday world behind and hopping a ride to one filled with fantastical adventures. It's a classic theme in children's literature -- from the Harry Potter series to such whimsical Roald Dahl stories as James and the Giant Peach.... With a capable cast, the show creates a sense that a giant peach could really whisk a boy off into the clouds for grand escapades.

James Henry Trotter's story begins with a tragic accident, his explorer parents being gobbled up by a rampaging rhino. Sent to live with his dowdy aunts, Spiker and Sponge (Jason Flora and Morgan Russell), James is forced to endure days of dull chores and verbal put-downs.

The situation seems hopeless until an old woman gives him a bag of magic seeds that have the power to take away his misery. But the lively seeds jump out of his hands and wriggle into the soft earth in the barren garden, bringing new life into a withered fruit tree that spawns the largest peach ever seen.

The peach isn't the only thing affected by the magic. Once he crawls inside, James discovers a colorful group of overgrown insects, including a fat earthworm with a rumbling Scottish burr (A.J. Stewart), a flirty French ladybug (Melissa Mason) and a friendly centipede with a passion for quality footwear and fine cuisine (Michael Plummer). Together, the group sets off, rolling across the English countryside, off the cliffs of Dover and across the sea toward America. The journey isn't without its risks, though, as James and his traveling companions encounter sharks, passing ships and other dangers before they reach their final destination.

The adaptation by Richard George does a fine job of condensing the expansive story into a manageable bite while Robbin Watts' sets cleverly re-create the soft interior of a huge peach. Colorful costumes by Kristina Tollefson also help set up a good visual distinction between James' dull life with his aunts and the excitement of his new life.

Michael Gill makes an enthusiastic James, and his colorful and eclectic cohorts are a warm and funny group to have along on such a fantastic journey.

                                                                 Last Updated: 05/06/2007                    Copyright Orlando Shakespeare Theater