Finding Neverland

Synopsis

Escape to a wonderful world of enchantment with this musical tale of the life of playwright J.M. Barrie, and the inspiration behind his classic book, The Adventures of Peter Pan. With his last play a failure, James Barrie is crippled by writer's block and success seems like a far-away land. But then a chance encounter with widow Sylvia Liewellyn Davies and her four young sons sends his heart and imagination soaring, and their friendship gives birth to a magical tale that will live forever.

Our Review:

4 October 2012

Finding Neverland is a brand new musical currently having it’s world premiere at the Curve Theatre in Leicester. With a first class creative team including esteemed producer Harvey Weinstein and director/choreographer Rob Ashford, the show has been deemed a huge hit since the initial announcement.

Based on the award-winning film of the same name starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, Finding Neverland tells the story of playwright James Barrie and the events that lead up to his creation of Peter Pan. The book is full of charm and is expertly written by Allan Knee. Effectively anchoring the text are music and lyrics by Scott Frankel and Michael Korie respectively, and although perhaps not entirely memorable, they are beautifully delivered.

Scott Pask’s scenic design is stunning and is made to look even more beautiful under Neil Austin’s lighting and Jon Driscoll & Gemma Carrington’s projection. The transition be...

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Latest User Review

Paul Towers - 18 October 2012:

The promotion promised so much; a love story, fairies and magic, music and mayhem. This is where there should be a but. But the but is that there is no but. Finding Neverland delivers all of that in spades. Harvey Weinstein declared Leicester Curve to be the only theatre outside London technically capable of bringing to the stage his story of J M Barrie’s creation of Peter Pan. To be honest I would think he will have trouble transferring to most London stages without a deal of compromises. Finding Neverland takes advantage of every single technological trick that Curve can offer; the floor of the stage must look like Spaghetti Junction with all the slots for moving furniture, props and scenery. The huge spaces above the stage and to the side are put to great use. The flying rigs, though sparsely used, are very effective and, in the finale, bring a lump to the throat of even the most hardened theatre goer. Finding Neverland is, like the film, the story of JM Barrie’s love affair with Sylvia Llewleyn Davies and her sons. This burgeoning relationship rekindled Barrie’s writing and led to the creation of his most enduring play, Peter Pan. Grabbing one of the last tickets available I found myself in a midweek matinee. It was announced that the principles were to be played by their understudies but, to be honest, we would never have known if we hadn’t been told, such were the professional performances we saw. Settling down in a sold out house, the gentle waft of Werthers drifted up the stalls as the clatter of walking sticks being stowed for the duration faded and the curtain rose to a large set of the outside of the Duke Of York Theatre. Barrie’s latest play, an inexorable mess called The Wedding Guest, is failing before his eyes. With admiral use of huge lumps of scenery sliding in and out and up and down, back projection, front projection and even animation the story of James and Sylvia’s romance unfolds until, ending the first half, a gigantic pirate ship lurches, 3D-like, towards the audience in one of many fantasy sequences of Barrie wrestling with his inner self. There were precious little half time sales as the majority of the audience didn’t dare to consume anything for fear of not making it through to the end or maybe finding their seats again. The second half got off to a roaring start with a full sized veteran car bowling along through the countryside and Barrie, with Capt Hook as his imaginary nemesis (cue lots of swashbuckling and energetic scene climbing), shaping his great adventure into the children’s favourite we all know and love. The script, cleverly spreading the story out amongst all the cast members, making some cheeky references to modern events like the banking crisis and theatre critics along the way, climaxed with Barrie and the boys flying high after their mother’s death. The finale, re-using the kite motif of the first meeting of Barrie with his Lost Boys, is cleverly used to disguise the preparation for the flying finale. Lots of very fast costume changes, coupled with amazing scene transformations, help create a filmic narrative on stage. Should this musical play ever make it to another stage then I urge you to see it. Some critics have criticised this show for not having any hummable tunes but I think that is a benefit. It means the story is not overshadowed by one song. In this show the music carries the story along, it doesn’t stop it to showcase a singer. © Paul Towers 2012...

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