Celebrities Commemorate 100 Years of Peter PanDate: 26 November 2004
He inspired countless productions, a feature-length Disney cartoon, and most recently, a Hollywood film starring Johnny Depp (Finding Neverland). It’s now 100 years since audiences first met the boy who would never grow up. To celebrate the centenary of Peter Pan, a variety of events are taking place in December, including talks, exhibitions and interactive work.
On Saturday 18 December 2004, the Duke of York’s Theatre on St Martin’s Lane hosts to Neverland Revisited. Here, at the venue where JM Barrie’s creation first took flight on 27 December 1904, Sheila Hancock will introduce the event which features personal appearances by some of the distinguished actors and actresses who have played Peter Pan and Captain Hook in London, including Susan Hampshire, Stephen Moore, Julia Lockwood, Ron Moody, John McCallum (accompanied by his wife, Googie Withers), Janette Scott, Donald Sinden and Wendy Craig.
The curator of the Theatre Museum, Catherine Haill, who’s also author of the book Dear Peter Pan, will give a talk on the origins of the play. There will also be an introduction to Peter Pan’s first production by Stephen Reynolds (box office manager at the Duke of York’s). The proceedings will be wrapped up with a rehearsed reading of Barrie’s short sequel to the play, only ever staged once before, in 1908, presented by Unicorn Theatre.
Admission to Neverland Revisited is free, but by ticket only. Children over the age of five are welcome. To order your free tickets, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Box Office Manager, Duke of York’s Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, LONDON WC2 4BG.
A number of tie-in events will be held at the Theatre Museum. The first is a foyer exhibition entitled Peter Pan: 100 Years Old and Still Flying, which will run from 30 November 2004 until the end of March 2005. It will include the costume worn by Pauline Chase, one of the first actresses to play Peter, and an Edwardian flying harness which helped create the flying effect.
In addition, the Theatre Museum will hold interactive costume workshops, story-telling and creative activities, where participants can explore the myth of Peter Pan. All these events are free of charge and open to children of all ages.
- by Hannah Kennedy
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