The timeless classic tale of Peter Pan by JM Barrie has been updated by award-winning playwright Gary Owen. In this version there is all the same swashbuckling adventure you would associate with the classic but a few modern twists are added to keep the dialogue and plot relevant. The change in gender of Captain Hook was a nice touch and Imogen Slaughter really brought the mean to the character as well as the fun. Her flamboyant gestures and narcissistic rants meant that her character was laughed at rather than feared. This was obviously done to ensure the audience didn’t turn completely on her as she played a dual role with the other part being the mum of the Darling children. It was in this role I felt Imogen Slaughter really shone, her warmth and sweetness were well measured and led me to believe in the power of her love for her children really overcoming the spells of Tinkerbell.
April Dalton's design was fantastic. The LED lights on the set always gave a sense of magic to the locations. From the first scene using the LED lights to create the windows that Tinkerbell and Peter Pan come in through, to creating the bow of Captain Hook's ship. The LEDs, I feel, were particularily prevalent in the creation of the location of Neverland. The strips of lights on the floor coupled with brightly coloured mushrooms and giant crayons created a truly magical place that was fully believable for the younger audience. The screen at the back of the stage also added hugely to the atmosphere and creation of magic. It was used to project the flying to Neverland, the seas of the cove, and of course Neverland itself. The colours used in the design greatly added to the atmosphere, everything was in bright bold colours and reminded you this was a magic place where adventures happen.
Little touches in the production, like the throwing of giant balls to represent snow balls gave it a sense of fun. The best bit for my daughter was most definitely the flying, the use of hoists was seamless and really kept the magic of the play alive.
The costumes had a modern edge to them with Peter Pan's green smock and tights being replaced with a green hoodie and jeans. Wendy no longer in a white nightdress but wearing denim dungarees and a stripy top. Tinkerbell a funky fairy with a pink jumper and skirt and sparkly trainer platform shoes. The costumes fit the style of the performance and again made it clear this was a new modern version of Peter Pan.
The use of slow motion and physical theatre was a clever choice by director Martin Constantine. It allowed the audience to take in the fight scenes and again helped to create a sense of magic in the performance. Coupled with the LED lights it was reminiscent of Frantic Assembly's The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time. The live music also fed into this with the songs having a strong beat and at times quite fast pace.
Georgia Jackson's portrayal of Wendy was certainly one for the modern age. She played the character with a real strength that put Peter firmly in his place. James Phoon's Peter Pan was the full-of-himself boy, oblivious to the effect he had on the girls in his life, who still managed to create a liking of the character in the audience.
A magical experience that myself and my 5 year old enjoyed. It wasn’t your traditional pantomime at Christmas it was a more sophisticated but still fun play. That being said I left the theatre in a Christmassy mood and at the same time left believing I’d seen a descent piece of theatre.
Reviewer - Francesca Eager
on - 11/12/19
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