JAMES & THE GIANT PEACH

Stand performing arts ministry, september 2025

Roles: Director, Scenic Designer, Scenic Carpenter, Scenic Artist

PHOTOGRAPHS BY Ellen Kay Photography

Director’s Notes

Roald Dahl’s stories are known for their mixture of the magical and the bizarre, and this musical adaptation captures both qualities beautifully. At its heart, the story is about a boy who overcomes loneliness by finding courage, friendship, and family in the most unexpected of places. Our vision for this production is to embrace not only the magic of James’s journey but also the delightful weirdness that makes Dahl’s world so unforgettable.

To take that weird and whimsy to the next level, we have chosen to frame the story through a troupe of circus performers. Much like Dahl’s writing, circus is a world where the extraordinary feels possible, where the strange becomes spectacular, and where community is built through daring, trust, and play. This approach has shaped everything you will see tonight, from the heightened characters to the bold physicality to the ensemble-driven stagecraft that transforms the peach into a living world of imagination.

This story also holds a personal connection for me. I first performed in James and the Giant Peach in high school and later returned to it in college when I directed a short version of the show. Getting to revisit it now, with two full casts and this circus-inspired vision, feels both like a homecoming and a chance to discover the story in an entirely new way.