The RSC’s Wendy and Peter Pan at the Barbican Theatre – review

In the 120-odd years that J M Barrie’s Peter Pan has been in the world, I dread to think how many disgruntled girls have asked the same question: how come Peter and the lost boys get to lark about in Neverland forever while Wendy is forced to become their mother?

Ella Hickson’s adaptation of Barrie’s work centres Wendy so she can tackle this very question – and plenty of others besides.

When her brother Tom dies, Wendy follows Peter to Neverland (other brothers John and Michael in tow), hoping to find him and save her parents, who are crumbling under the weight of grief.

Many of the plot’s central beats remain. There’s Captain Hook to contend with – Toby Stephens on deliciously boo-hiss form (he also plays Mr Darling) – as well as the meddlings of jealous fairy Tink (a gruff Charlotte Mills, who dispenses liberal doses of snark with her fairy dust).

But Wendy’s real quest becomes not just finding Tom, but overcoming the catalogue of struggles facing young girls. How to disentangle herself from the caring responsibilities that are stealing her childhood, how to lead without being bossy, express her feelings without being “whiny,” and sidestep the world’s attempts to pit her against other girls. There’s also grief and the first buds of romantic attraction to navigate.

Hickson’s script is keenly observed. In one superb scene, Wendy tries to plan her quest, rally the troops, heck, even just get hold of a pen and paper, but must do so while cooking the lost boys’ breakfast, soothing their tummy aches and tantrums, explaining the meaning of life, and shouting over (or begrudgingly joining in with) the raucous games that erupt courtesy of Peter.

Hannah Saxby gives a startlingly physical performance as Wendy – the internal tussles writ large in every twist of her face, infuriated stamp turned dance move, and frustration visibly swallowed.

Daniel Krikler’s Peter teeters deftly between anarchic young boy and posturing adolescent, and a fleet of Peter’s shadows played by the chorus makes for an interesting if not deeply explored addition.

If all of this is sounding a little serious, fear not: Hickson’s script is stuffed with laughs, and Jonathan Munby’s exuberant direction ramps up the fun. Young audience members will love the physical comedy, toilet humour, and Joe Hewetson’s perfectly useless pirate. The grown ups’ treat is Scott Karim’s Smee, whose unrequited love for Hook sees him dreaming of drinks parties hosted in the cottage they’ll do up together (he’s got the Farrow and Ball swatches ready).

And there’s spectacle too. Boisterous pirate fights (although their sheer volume starts to dilute their impact), plenty of whizzing about on aerial wires, and a staggering set from Colin Richmond, highlights of which include a huge twisting tree and Hook’s ship, The Jolly Roger, which cruises on and offstage. Throw in Taiki Ueda’s whimsical projections and Shuhei Kamimura’s filmic score and things feel suitably magical.

Adding so much questioning to Wendy’s questing does draw things out a fraction too long, and little bottoms will fidget by the end of almost three hours. But I’ll forgive it if just one little girl leaves the theatre feeling like she doesn’t have to grow up as fast as she thought.