Hugh Parker on Navigating PETER AND THE STARCATCHER as Production Arrives in Brisbane
Actor Hugh Parker is filling the boots of Captain Scott in the Australian production of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, delivering a performance that delves beyond the show’s surface-level whimsy. Known for his nuanced comedic characters in television hits like The Office (UK) and The Family Law, Parker brings wit and gravitas to a reimagined world brimming with pirates, mermaids, and mysterious islands. Yet, as he explains, this role is more than military caricature—it’s about loyalty, responsibility, and belonging. Through frank anecdotes about his creative process and memorable conversations with luminaries like Stephen Fry, Parker sheds light on the layers of adventure and introspection woven into PETER AND THE STARCATCHER. In this interview, he offers an insider’s look at balancing slapstick hilarity and quiet reflection, all while keeping Captain Scott’s moral compass firmly in focus.
Peter and the Starcatcher offers a whimsical, reimagined take on a well-known tale. What about the script or concept intrigued you enough to step into the role of Captain Scott?
The show can be whimsical but there’s layer upon layer within it. There’s an exploration of the passage of time and what it means to accept responsibility, there’s the melancholy of leaving people behind and, key for me, the comfort and safety of feeling that you belong. They were the driving elements for me. I had the pleasure of working with Stephen Fry and we discussed the nature of choosing work. He gave me a wonderfully dry insight when he said, Saying yes to a part can be like popping on a well-turned leather Brogue … it may look appealing but does it fit?
Photo by Daniel Boud
You’ve been part of comedic television hits like The Office (Australia) and The Family Law. How does that comedic background inform your portrayal of Captain Scott in a story that’s equal parts swashbuckling adventure and heartfelt emotion?
Well, I was a brief part of the UK Office, not the recent Australian version but such experiences certainly help. The nature of experience suggests time spent listening and learning. It doesn’t restrict itself to Captain Scott as all performers are required to become multiple characters in the swish of a coat tail or the time it takes to swap a hat. But there’s also that balance because the comedy does come thick and fast, audiences are in that glorious position of possibly missing something because they’re laughing so much. The structure of the play allows for that playfulness and comedic bravado but then it will settle and we see actors zeroing in on each other, grappling with the deeper themes. So Captain Scott, like the other characters I portray, have to know when it’s time to swash and when to buckle down and channel the audience to the more grounded moments.
Many audience members may expect Captain Scott to be overshadowed by the iconic figures of Peter and Black Stache. How do you ensure your character holds his own amid larger-than-life personalities on stage?
Oh dear, I hope that’s not an audience expectation. I think that part of holding your own is that you have to know what ingredient you are in the mixture. Captain Scott isn’t front and centre, so any attempt to counterbalance that probably means that you aren’t serving the story. Sondheim says it wonderfully in I’m Still Here, a career can see you in the lead, as support, as a cypher but the job is understanding your function.
This production showcases a wide range of performance styles, from slapstick humour to moments of genuine pathos. Where does Captain Scott fit into that spectrum, and how do you navigate the contrasts?
Yes, the show shifts with great pace and it treats the audience with respect, providing generous elements to keep up with. It’s like a symphonic work that places and foreshadows motifs and themes, then ties them all together. Though not necessarily in ways you expect, another great element of the show. Captain Scott, as with every character, has to be agile and commit from one moment to the next. The cast have learned the very great benefits of staying hydrated!
Working alongside such an exceptional cast must be both exhilarating and challenging. What have you found most surprising or inspiring about collaborating with such well-known comics?
The entire cast are world class. To assemble these performers in the same space feels like a greatest hits album. We’ve formed a tight group and we look out for each other. Without exception the cast, and that absolutely includes the remarkable onstage musicians and offstage swings, bring great energy and attack every performance. Nothing is undersold. This is equally true of the stage crew. They are the beating heart of making sure this complex show runs the way it does. I revere comics like Colin and Pete. In their world, they know very quickly if they are hitting the notes or not because the audience either laughs or they don’t! They are consistently brave and trying new approaches in front of hundreds and hundreds of audience members … always looking to improve and refine what they are doing.
Peter and the Starcatcher delves into themes of loyalty, bravery, and finding one’s place in the world. Does your character embody any of these themes in a way that resonates with your own life or experiences?
Loyalty is something I embrace in others. Bravery is very much a relative thing. It can be an act of bravery to show loyalty because it means you are adhering to a principle. In this show, Scott is the very embodiment of loyalty and bravery but history has mixed views on him. One biographer, David Crane, says of him that no figure in polar history is .. “so wholly obscured by legend”. Scott’s place in a Colonial past is recognised here too.
You’re often associated with witty comedic delivery. How do you tailor that comedic instinct to a stage production where physicality, timing, and audience interaction can differ vastly from TV?
You have to tailor yourself to any given role. I’m happy to be considered witty but if it isn’t called for then it undermines the story. I’ve been allowed some legroom when it comes to this interpretation of Captain Scott. But any comedic elements are there to help with the tone of the show as a whole. My training was in classical theatre and the television work came later but you learn to accommodate each discipline. The physical demands of the show are rigorous but a live setting produces a shared energy and actors thrive on that. Lord Attenborough was the Chair at RADA when I trained there, and talked about awareness of your medium. He told me that acting is always an invitation but sometimes the font needs to be adjusted.
Captain Scott may appear to be the “voice of reason” in a story otherwise packed with fanciful creatures and pirates. How do you bring humanity and depth to a role that risks being a caricature of military discipline?
Well, the caricature of military discipline is actually needed for the show. It serves as a way to poke at an unhealthy Colonial past where such strictures paved the way for invasion and theft. It’s not just Captain Scott either, it’s the whole military, naval and Victorian ideal that is parodied and caricatured. It’s an acknowledgement that when whole strata of societies take themselves so seriously, the obvious alternative is to laugh at it. However, Scott in the show is at the decent end of the spectrum. I’m not convinced he’s a voice of reason, perhaps idealistic and well intentioned. The creatures and pirates play their part in this disassembling too. And the creatures are utterly beguiling.
Given your varied background in television and theatre, what would you say is the biggest challenge in bringing this particular character to life in front of a live audience every night?
To be honest, you take a big deep breath before the show and then tell yourself to just run at it! Captain Scott isn’t always present on stage and I can only hope that the work done to set him up in the earlier scenes, pays off in the latter. In another moment of honesty, I confess I find myself simply enjoying what my fellow castmates are doing. But that really is in keeping with the show and how it wishes to include and take care of its audience.
If you could distil one important takeaway for the audience from Captain Scott’s journey, what would it be, and why do you think it matters in the broader context of Peter and the Starcatcher?
Captain Scott is thoroughly decent but you could argue that he doesn’t question the consequences of following orders. I would hope anyone watching can think about narratives in their own world and what is the healthy version of asking questions of what is happening around you or in your name.
Venue: QPAC, Brisbane
Season: 14 March
Bookings: CLICK HERE
