His Majesty’s Peter Pan star Michael Karl-Lewis is the boy who did grow up.
Back in 2008, the Aberdeen-born actor was an eager 10-year-old, thrilled to have won the role of Michael Darling in that year’s Peter Pan panto at HMT.
Fast forward 14 years and today the grown-up Michael is flying high at HMT as the hero of the show, alongside Strictly legend Brendan Cole and panto icon Alan McHugh – and he still can’t quite believe it.
“I just have to pinch myself every day, it’s amazing,” said Michael, who was brought up in Portlethen, but is now based in London.
“Keith Jack was playing Peter when I was Michael and I remember watching him and thinking ‘that is so cool, imagine getting to do that when I’m older’ – and now I am.”
Michael Karl-Lewis loving every minute of Peter Pan at His Majesty’s
And he is loving every minute of his time playing the Boy Who Never Grew Up on stage in The Pantomime Adventures Of Peter Pan.
“I think Peter is such an amazing role. When I’m doing the fight with Captain Hook and the kids are all clapping along and shouting ‘Peter’ you can see people just love him. So to be playing him is just incredible,” said Michael.
And while they might cross swords in the show, Michael says he and Brendan are having a great time, especially during their daily run through the fight scene before curtain up.
“Brendan is incredible and he’s like a friend, too. We have so much fun together both on stage and offstage. That’s one of my favourite parts of the show, that sword fight.”
While Peter Pan might be a big, glittering family-fun show, Michael has had to suffer for his art. To play the Boy Who Never Grew Up he had to have his chest waxed, although he did do it for charity.
Michael said: “My mum said to me just before ‘are you good with pain’ and I said ‘I don’t actually know’. But that was very sore.
“Actually, it’s going to grow back so Alan (who also directs the show) is going to be telling me off, soon.”
Being in HMT’s Peter Pan is ‘magic’ for Michael Karl-Lewis
Bare chest apart, Michael says he is getting “so much” from the show.
“Every single time I come into the theatre, I am so happy,” he said. “I’m just so happy to be doing this story, to be working with this amazing group of people and to be doing Alan’s amazing script.
“Just knowing in myself that I have always wanted to do this and the fact that I am is literally just magic.
“I think I will reflect on it when it’s all over and be like ‘wow, I can’t believe that just happened.”
Winning the role of Michael after a search for local youngsters to play the Darling boys in 2008 was a major milestone on his path to being a professional actor.
“I have always known I wanted to be an actor since I was young,” said Michael, who as a youngster was a member of local theatre groups such as KidzAct, Triple Threat and Phoenix.
“I’ve never thought of a Plan B, at school I was always just striving to go to drama school.”
Panto writer, director and star Alan McHugh is ‘so inspiring’
Michael graduated from London’s Trinity Laban Conservatoire Of Music And Dance in 2018, before going on to various stage roles, including two pantos at Greenock Theatre, both scripted by Alan McHugh.
So he is delighted to be back on stage with Alan, who was also the Dame in Peter Pan when Michael took his first tentative steps into the spotlight as one of the Darling boys.
“Working with Alan in Peter Pan is just unbelievable. Knowing he’s directing us, he’s starring in it and he’s written it is just so inspiring. I admire him very much,” said Michael, who added he is thrilled to be playing in front of his home audience, with friends and family in to see the show almost every night.
Once this year’s panto is finished, Michael will return to London with hopes of continuing his great success.
“I would absolutely love to be Marius in Les Mis and I would absolutely love to be in Jersey Boys,” he said.
Michael hopes to follow in Aberdeen star Amy Lennox’s shoes
And he has another home-grown inspiration to push him on – and yet another His Majesty’s Peter Pan panto connection.
Amy Lennox, the Aberdeen-actor who recently won acclaim as Sally Bowles in an award-winning production of Cabaret in London’s West End got one of her first breaks playing Wendy in HMT’s Peter Pan back in 2003.
“I saw Amy in Cabaret and she was outstanding, one of the best performances I have ever seen,” said Michael.
“I felt so proud she was from Aberdeen and to follow in her footsteps would be a dream come true.”
The Pantomime Adventures Of Peter Pan runs at His Majesty’s Theatre until Sunday January 8. For more information and tickets go to aberdeenperformingarts.com
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