An Intriguing, Innovative and Distinctly Charming Production of Peter Pan

Adapting a renowned and time-worn tale into a modern performance is always a daunting task, especially when that tale is the inimitable Peter Pan, yet it is one that these promising Year 7 actors have accomplished with aplomb. Assured, inventive and memorable, the production experiments with theatrical form in a manner that defies expectation and injects new life into a narrative at risk of becoming lethargic. It is, in essence, an aptly spellbinding rendition of one of the most iconic and best-known pieces of children’s fiction. 

The actors, lifeblood of any performance, prove themselves not only capable of filling the large shoes defined by the now century-old story, but also of using those shoes to walk in a fashion unique to themselves; far from a mere imitation, the performance seems defined by a refusal to play it safe. From Will Powell’s endearingly absentminded Smee to Arty Waddington’s charismatic Captain Hook, the stage is at all times populated by a compelling cast of competent entertainers. Lola Jones, Peter Gamble and Libby Scotland each provide their own nuanced take on ‘the boy who wouldn’t grow up’, and the chemistry they have with their respective counterparts (Penny Papadin, Livy Palmer and Roami Wilson) as Wendy is both palpable and immediate. The cast exudes confidence, and their talent makes it evident as to why. 

Much like the ambitious production itself, the set exists in a constant state of charming flux, transforming itself time and time again with the use of techniques simple but nonetheless effective. Take, for example, the feat of replicating the sensation of soaring blissfully through an azure skyscape; this glorious spectacle is reproduced with only a handful of splayed umbrellas to emulate clouds, a few sheets of shimmering blue fabric to represent the sky behind, and a wondrous swelling of music to unite the scene. Equally as fantastical is the mischievous Tinkerbell – here represented by a handful of bells held up to a strobing light, with her comedic expressions recreated via the use of a frame bedecked in fairy lights. An additionally creative interpretation involves the use of empty clothes as puppetry to present the parents as a more distant or alien presence in the children’s lives. The use of inventive prop work not only manages to sell even the most ethereal moments, but also elevate them beyond expectations.  

Central to the appeal of the narrative of Peter Pan is the freedom that accompanies childhood and its many adventures. The production manages to briefly afford that same joy of play to an audience that has perhaps outgrown it in a manner that is truly special; the infectious exuberance of this skilful cast is plain to see. 

Joshua Stokes, Year 13

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