Review: Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure
December 6, 2008
Date reviewed: 3 December 2008
Venue: West Yorkshire Playhouse
It is a common lament today that children grow up too fast, but this Christmas the West Yorkshire Playhouse presents the children’s classic, Peter Pan, the story of a boy who never grew up. This version is a musical, with songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe and directed by Birmingham Repertory Theatre artistic director Rachel Kavanaugh.
It opens well, setting the scene of bustling Edwardian suburbia, and the normality of a children’s nursery. The magic really starts with the ingenious introduction of Tinkerbell, a tiny red dot zipping around and disrupting the toys. As with the balletic flight of the Darlings and Peter, these magical elements are done so well that children really will leave believing in fairies. The song ‘Never Land’ perfectly fits the music as the lyrics and melody are emotionally and literally uplifting as the children embrace the freedom of flight and childhood. Throughout, the music is vibrant and fitting, from the incredibly catchy playground chants of the Lost Boys, to the witty songs of Hook’s crew including the hilarious ‘Look Back Through a Rose-Tinted Eyepatch’.
Peter’s dial of “childlike glee” is turned up rather too high, making him seem more manic and hyped up than naturally exuberant. James Gillan’s Pan is not a boy on the cusp of manhood but a man playing a boy, and the effort required to shed the years puts a slight strain on the character. Amy Lennox does a better job as Wendy, with particularly charming and strong vocals whilst being winsome and youthful if on the prissy side of “motherly”. Captain Hook is masterfully played by David Birrell, relishing the role of the dastardly pirate and delivering every line and action with aplomb and flair. The brilliant Smee is a welcome surprise, and his bumbling simplicity will charm the youngsters whilst his camp comedy will tickle the parents - an inspired performance by Martin Callaghan.
The sets and costumes have a dream-like quality to them: slightly surreal, very bright and wonderfully enchanting, they will capture the attention and captivate the imagination of the young audience. The rough-and-tumble lifestyle of Neverland is a refreshing change in these health and safety ratified days, but make it more boy scouts than Lord of the Flies. The scenes work particularly well during the group dance numbers by the pirates and the Lost Boys, with Jenny Arnold’s choreography consistently slick.
The depths of the story are lightly plumbed, as it displays the exuberance and freedom of youth as well as its selfishness, and explores how to be always living in the present denies the complexity and richness of human experience. Hook and Peter are antithetical, and neither is portrayed as ideal. The song portraying a dispute between Wendy and Peter encapsulates the contradictions and difficulties of the human relationship with ageing, and the finale song is a celebration of life as well as a yearning for lost youth.
The musical is highly entertaining and satisfying, fulfilling the traditions of the play while keeping it fresh, and presenting some great songs that you’ll still be humming days later. Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure is a good choice for children of all ages and fun-loving adults.
-Rebecca Ross
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