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Michael, John, Peter Pan, Tink and Wendy about to set off for Neverland - second to the right and straight on till morning. Pictures: Manuel Harlan Wendy and Peter Pan
Royal Shakespeare Company
Stratford-upon-Avon
***** EVERY so often along comes a production
where all the elements combine as close to perfection as the theatrical
Gods will allow and the result is just pure, stage magic. Thus we have
Wendy and Peter Pan,
the RSC’s wonderful family, festive offering based on J.M. Barrie’s 1911
novel, Peter and Wendy. The interest starts long before the play with a
fascinating set designed by Colin Richmond portraying the Darling
children’s bedroom full of quirky objects and a giant slowly revolving
mobile overhead complete with a crocodile and pirate ship. Enough to
keep young children’s enquiring minds engrossed until the lights dim for
action. The glorious set also gives us the wonderfully
detailed
Lost Boys underground home which rises from the depths as the stage
opens like a giant book while a giant pirate ship sails in majestically
from the rear of the vast stage lit with the rippling light of a moonlit
sea. And upon that stage is some marvellous acting
from a fabulous cast led by former Birmingham University student Mariah
Gale and Rhys Rusbatch as Peter Pan. Gale gives a wonderful portrayal as Wendy, at
times the innocent young girl, at times the feisty young woman; always
plucky, always convincing and with a glorious sense of fun.
Ella Hickson’s clever adaptation, full of wit and
charm, is a feminist take on the original, but fear not, this is no
gender equality role playing seminar; all she has done is look at the
story as much from the point of view of Wendy as from that of Peter. She
has given Wendy a say, a voice which she uses with passion and good
humour. The clue is in the juxtaposition of names from
the original title. It’s ladies first here. James Corrigan is John, eldest brother who lets
Wendy play in his constant games of battles and derring do - but only as
a damsel in distress. His John is a spiffing yarns sort of chap while
younger brother Michael, played timidly by Jordan Metcalfe , is more
interested in butterflies than battles. And then there is Tom, played by
Sam Clemmett, the fourth, unheralded brother, and an addition from
Hickson. He is not with us for long though, dying in the
opening scene. He might not have been in the original but his loss does
add an extra element to Barrie’s fairy story, with Wendy dealing with
the family’s grief and searching for her lost brother rather than merely
looking for adventure as she follows Pan to Neverland. It adds a darker
dimension for youngsters, and adults, to ponder. And speaking of fairies, we have no tiny
waiflike, Disneyesque Tinkerbell here, Tink is an ample, well
upholstered Cockney rebel of a fairy complete wif bovver boots played in
a wonderfully in yer face antagonistic way by Charlotte Mills. She has
some great lines and the faultless timing to make the most of them. The
pin point of light which jumps from hand to hand representing the unseen
Tink as she flies, incidentally, is particularly clever and effective. Leading the Lost Boys is, of course, Pan played with a boyish enthusiasm, Welsh accent and innocence by Rusbatch. His Pan is happy to fight his sworn enemy Captain Hook or play games with his gang of Lost Boys and that’s about it. Anything deeper, anything more serious, any relationships beyond friend or enemy is beyond him – a boy who never grew up. His fun gang could be straight from the pages of Just William, children playing at battles, except the first time we come across Hook he slits the throat of an annoying pirate with his frightening hook. It might be a game but it is a deadly one as
Hickson once again darkens the story. Pan is surrounded by six shadows – that’s inflation for you, Barrie’s Pan only had one – who follow him around and give an illusion of flying. The real flying is done on fairly hefty wires
which might not look as real as flying rigs in, say a proscenium panto
but kids don’t mind. They have imagination in abundance which is more
powerful than any special effects.
The indisposition of Darrell D’Silva saw David
Langham elevated from crewman to Captain Hook and what a smiling
sinister Hook he created, a gentleman psychopath with reptilian charm,
and a lovely line in glances and asides which show a delightful twinkle
of fun amid the darkness. When it comes to reptilian though we have the
crocodile, played in top hat and long green tinged coat by Arthur
Kyeyune, who also played the doctor with the bad news about Tom. As the croc he manages to walk, sort of, while
doing the splits – it’s a don’t try this at home moment and quite
remarkable – and a little bit painful – to watch, particularly for those
of us who creak merely rising from our seats at the interval. Paul Kemp gives us a homemaker of a Smee, who
wants to settle down in a little cottage with Hook, while the rest of
the crew are a pretty standard scurvy collection of cut-throats . . .
apart from Martin, played by Adam Gillen, who can’t manage a pirate’s “Ahharrrh”
and is probably a Lost Boy who got lost on arrival rather than a pirate. Hook has an added trouble to worry
about in the shape Tiger Lily, played by Mimi Ndiweni, the last of the
Piccaninny Tribe, a warrior who saves Wendy and joins forces with her
and Tink in the girl’s guerrillas in the final, decisive battle for
Neverland. For Neverland to exist though we need a real
world, an Edwardian world where Rebecca Johnson is a blissful Mrs
Darling and Patrick Toomey a fun father, head of a happy family - until
the death of Tom when fun and happiness dies with him and we see grief
destroying the family, which Hickson cleverly, in the briefest of
interludes, weaves into the action as Neverland and the real world pass
each other by.
The script is witty,
funny, at times sad, at times charming, at times dark but always
interesting, with cheeky references to films such as
Dirty Dancing
and A few Good Men
slipped in. Director Jonathan Munby has done a good job in
allowing the story to flow at a natural rhythm and in engaging the
audience with the RSC trademark of cast entering on walkways and along
aisles which makes children feel even more part of the action. Terry King’s excellent fight arrangements, Oliver
Fenwick’s lighting and Olly Fox’s music from the seven piece orchestra
all add to what is a quite enchanting production. The RSC age advice is
seven plus. My grandson is much younger than that and enjoyed it, but he
is a seasoned theatregoer – the benefit of a grandfather who is a critic
– while some young children were fidgeting long before the end, so it is
up to parents to decide if their child could sit through two and a half
hours, including interval, of a play, albeit the most glorious,
wonderful production. As for adults, there is a little part of us that
never wants to grow up, and this is a chance to indulge the child in all
of us for a short while with a little theatrical magic. To 31-01-16 Roger Clarke
05-12-15
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