“The moment you doubt that you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it”

JM Barrie, Peter Pan

Those very words may well be rushing through Martin Berry’s mind when he finds himself 10,000ft in the air on Saturday 28 November…

The director of Neverland, the Nottingham Lakeside Arts Christmas show, has decided to take part in a skydive to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital, the charity to which JM Barrie left the rights to Peter Pan in perpetuity.

Martin says the idea came to him in a moment of madness while working out one of the flying scenes: “When we chose to adapt Peter Pan for Lakeside’s Christmas production, one key challenge was to create compelling, dynamic flying scenes.  So in a spirit of reckless attention to experiential detail, I agreed to do a skydive.  What better way to discover how it feels to fly?!”

“To say that I am nervous would be something of an understatement.  I have always sworn I would never do a skydive.  But yet, here I am, in training and in at the deep end. Great Ormond Street is of course the most wonderful of causes and what I am doing is as nothing compared to what the children there have to go through.  So, I will take my medicine, a big breath, and launch into the sky on my own terrifying but awfully big adventure. Please give generously!”

To add to the authenticity, Martin will also be raiding the wardrobe department and dressing as one of the characters from the show. Whether that will be Tinker Bell, Peter Pan or a teddy bear will be decided by the public – check out Nottingham Lakeside Arts Facebook page to cast your vote.

Martin is aiming to raise £1000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital. If you would like to support him, you can do so via his Just Giving page.

Neverland is suitable for those aged 4+ and their families, opening Friday 4 December 2015. Visit Nottingham Lakeside Arts for more information.

Follow the progress of Martin’s skydive and the Neverland production via @LakesideArts and their respective hashtags: #bigadventure and #neverland