Peter Pan – Park Theatre, London

Writer: J. M. Barrie
Director: Jonathan O’Boyle
Reviewer: Scott Matthewman

All children, except one, grow up. Until then, there is plenty of time for fantasy – as J M Barrie’s classic playPeter Pandemonstrates.

Barrie’s play works best in the context of a child observing the world through the sleepy prism of bedtime stories, just as Peter catches snippets of Cinderella through the bedroom window of the Darling children and then imperfectly relates them to the Lost Boys back in Neverland.

Everything in this play is slightly askew: in Jonathan O’Boyle’s version of London, Barrie’s Edwardian dialogue is peppered with references to Siri, Uber and, from the mouths of John and Michael Darling, even “stinky bum farts” as insults.

But then, this fits alongside Neverland itself, a mash-up of pirates, fairies and Cowboys and Indians. Within this fantasy world, Wendy tells more stories, fiction folding in upon itself, until her role as storyteller expands to that of mother.

The expectation of gender roles is not exactly nuanced in Barrie’s world: mothers are nurturing while fathers are busy and absent. O’Boyle takes care to emphasise, though, that one of the key attractions Rosemary Boyle’s Wendy feels towards Nickcolia King-N’Da’s Peter is that he respects her in ways that her brothers very much do not.

For his part, King-N’Da is a delightful Peter, as wide-eyed and immature as a young boy and as brave as the man he is determined never to become. Boyle is a perfect foil for him, bringing out the sadness of her plight throughout – Wendy is growing up and realising that her attraction to this boy is something else, something very definitely not maternal, but will be forever unrequited.

Alexander Vlahos makes for a younger Hook than we are traditionally used to, although the doubling of his role as Mister Darling makes sense: in both cases, he is the foe to adventure, the problem to be surmounted: but in both cases, a man of enjoyable company nevertheless. Gregor Donnelly’s costume design for Hook eschews the usual pirate look for a wax greatcoat and slouch hat combo that enhances Vlahos’s presence considerably.

Natalie Grady also pleases both as Mrs Darling and Smee, as do Jason Kajdi and Adam Buchanan as John and Michael. Impressively, the Park’s space manages to fit in a flying rig to allow Peter to fly, and the transitions into flight are performed more smoothly than many a larger production manages.

The flight is slow, though, meaning that ultimately King-N’Da’s dynamic, ebullient and vigorous performances crawls to an airborne snail’s pace when on wires. Nowhere is this more apparent in the climactic battle with Hook.

Indeed, pace is an issue throughout. O’Boyle may have changed some references in Barrie’s text, but its stodgier portions remain. During several scenes, especially in Act II, one could hear the younger members of the audience getting more and more restless. The discard of Barrie’s epilogue, in which Peter returns to visit a grown-up Wendy,is welcome at the end of a play which already feels like it has been drawn out: but it also robs the play of a satisfying end.

For all that, though,Peter Panis a solid evening, and if parents are looking for a family show that is closer to traditional theatre than many a panto, the Park Theatre delivers.

Continues until 5 January 2019 | Image: Contributed