Matt Murray on laying the groundwork for Peter Pan's Last Flight

05 Dec 2022 - photos courtesy of Ross Petty Productions

For more years than I would care to admit, it has been my extreme pleasure to attend and review Ross Petty's annual Christmas Pantomime. The first time I was dubious, but the rampant ribaldry, tasty cheesiness, flamboyant cross-dressing, and sincere charm, won me over. And as the Pantos evolved, getting slicker without losing their scrappy edge, my raves grew more enthusiastic. So when the chance to ask some questions of Matt Murray, who has written the last six Pantos, was offered, I jumped at the opportunity. 

Drew Rowsome: First of all, the question you've probably been asked a thousand times but which is on everyone's mind: is this really the last Panto? Or is it a tease like Cher's farewell tours? 

Matt Murray: I am sad to report that this is really the last one. Twenty-five years at the Elgin seemed like a perfect number to leave on. 

How are you making the Peter Pan source material relevant and fresh? How rigid is the Panto format?

Matt Murray: Like every year, I usually try to incorporate some kind of relevant issue, etc. This year we touch on our attachment to technology and social media. I wouldn’t say the format is rigid. Over the past six years, I’ve gotten a good sense of what works and what doesn’t when it comes to story. I find the sweet spot is to honour the source material, beloved characters in particular, and then flip it on its head. The Panto is unique in that it truly needs to be fun for the whole family (5-year-olds to 105-year-olds) so it is important to make sure that everyone can follow along. The jokes are really where we get fresh and creative in order to make sure everyone is having fun and laughs, for different reasons. 

Do you ever feel the need to be faithful to the source material? Do you fear/hope that JM Barrie will be rolling over in his grave? 

Matt Murray: To build on what I just said, I always make it our own, and hope that JM would be rolling in his grave with laughter. 

In an interview Dan Chameroy told me "We're still in the process of putting it all together. There's absolutely a script, a very solid one by Matt Murray, but with a pantomime there's a process of collaboration, a very creative aspect of making it your own, improving stuff throughout." How much of a script do you have to provide? How much room do you allow for improvisation? How frustrating is it to rein them in when they get power mad writing their own lines and actions? 

Matt Murray: Collaboration is key to the success of this kind of show. I come in with what I feel is a solid jumping off point, script wise, knowing it will absolutely change as we get it on its feet. When you are working with first-class improvisors like we have in this cast, I would be remiss in not embracing their genius and taking from it whatever I can. My goal as a playwright is always to aim for everyone feeling confident ownership over what they are doing up there, so listening to what they need and are offering is key for myself. This process is no different. 

Are you ever tempted to just type "Eddie Glenn riffs for 3.2 minutes”? 

Matt Murray: Yes. I have gotten pretty good at spotting moments where Eddie will likely want to riff and have even been known to just write “Eddie improvs about…” rather than trying to script something. He never disappoints. 

Chameroy plays Plumbum as a woman who just happens to be garish, Michael DeRose brought an explicitly gay edge to Sugarbum that was quite risqué and hilarious. How did you see the difference? How far were you able to push the double entendres and in-jokes before you were reined in (or reined yourself in)?  

Matt Murray: Dan and Michael are very different and I have loved working with both of them. The thing I always marvel about with Dan is the honesty and vulnerability he brings to Plumbum. We have had many conversations around me writing something for her that, say, has a particular edge or sting to it. Dan will chime in with “that doesn’t feel true to her”. I adore the care he has for Plumbum. As far as jokes, I am always pushing the boundaries as far as I can and this year is no different! I am definitely reined in from time-to-time. I usually drop in a few really blue jokes for the table read, knowing full well they will never make the cut. 

Has the audience reaction changed to the cross-dressing characters since Drag Race went mainstream? 

Matt Murray: I can’t point to anything specific but I will say that I’m sure audiences as a whole have a new understanding and comfort when it comes to drag. 

A Christmas Carol in particular was delightfully leftist and feminist, does the show's politics have to align with what a mainstream audience expects? Do you get to express your personal politics? What will, if it's not a spoiler, be the subtext twist in Peter Pan's Last Flight? 

Matt Murray: This year has been a unique experience for me. In it being the final show, I wanted to make sure that not only were we creating a show that will delight audiences in the ways they’ve become accustomed, but also to give it that “series finale” it deserves. I say this because this year I am less focused on making a political statement and more about making something that feels satisfying as a whole. That being said, I am always sticking in little jabs here and there to satisfy my own vitriol. 

Creating a full musical is a process that can take years of painstaking work (ie: your musical GROW), yet the panto is created and mounted in less than a year. At what point do you begin writing?   

Matt Murray: The Panto is incredibly ambitious. Every year we have to write and produce a show from scratch that really is not all that different from a traditional Broadway musical. Coming up with the show is a true collaboration. Ross, myself, and director Tracey Flye meet early in the New Year to figure out a title and then I will go away and come up with a concept. Once I have an overall story idea, Tracey acts as dramaturge and once we both feel like the concept is solid, it is pitched to Ross. Once he has signed off, I go to outline and then to script. 

Will your own Christmas traditions be different next year without a Panto to create? 

Matt Murray: I don’t think I’ve really grasped how big of a gap this will leave in my life, especially around the holidays. This has been an extraordinary six years. The people I work with have become dear friends and family and I will miss this and them tremendously.