presented by the Hertfordshire Players
J.M. Barrie’s much loved classic tale: refreshingly, radically retold. Wendy is off on an awfully big adventure as she leaves the unhappiness of her home to follow Peter Pan to Neverland, hoping to find her ‘lost’ brother. Along the way she will have to compete with the Lost Boys, contend with the feisty fairy Tink, confront the fiendish Captain Hook (accompanied by his crew of despicable pirates) and ultimately learn what it means to grow up.
Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2013, Ella Hickson’s adaptation retains the charm of the original whilst bringing the story soundly into the 21st century, challenging “why the lost boys get to stay lost forever, but girls have to become mother”.
Lynsey Wallace’s first production with The Hertfordshire Players was as co-director for Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds (winner of the Minack Trophy 2008). Since then, she has appeared in Nicholas Nickleby (2016) and co-directed Alice (2018).
Re view by Jane Pugh
Wendy and Peter by Ella Hicken performed by the Hertfordshire Players and directed by Lynsey Wallace, Minack Theatre.
Review by Jane Pugh 22 August 2024
Do I believe in fairies? You bet I do! This rendition of Wendy and Peter by Ella Hicken made my head spin which was a fun experience and a bit of a challenge. Let’s get the difficult part out of the way first. There are so many concurrent themes of love and grief, of hopes realised and hopes dashed, of youth verses age, of a woman’s need for self-actualization versus a mother’s love and so on and so on. Whilst we can assume that everyone in the United Kingdom has some understanding of Peter Pan, (especially the white middle class) this new version, largely from Wendy’s point of view, struggles with aligning itself to the original plot and give enough space and time to express and explore each new idea. The second half is devoted to a mad dash to resolve all the set-ups with either big battle scenes or snatched conversations, but it does end and everybody’s just about in one piece, with a smile on their face.
And now, the good head-spinning bit. The characters, costumes, the set and the props and music. Alice Croot in the title role as Wendy floats across the stage whether she’s in the flying scenes or not, her expressive face full of longing and compassion. She had to belt out the lines (little chance of nuance on the very windy Minack stage) but we believe in her and care about her. Special mention to the Lost Boys, by in large played by girls, which underpin one of the key questions of the play, ‘Why should boys have all the fun?’ and talking of girls, you’d have to be as narcissistic as Captain Hook not to be tickled pink by the two youngest cast members in stripy socks and sparkles, playing Tink’s tinkly bells. And Smee is pathos personified.
The Hertfordshire Players know the Minack inside out and back to front, confidently leaping about as if they really can fly (maybe they can...) and the genius use of these weird, giant floating bubbles wowed the audience, as did the sparkling stars which represent the passing from life to death of children, including one of Wendy’s brothers. Gulp. The production doesn’t balk at the subject of death and grief and the team does a cracking job of using magical, joyful props and pretty, soulful music to balance hopelessness with hopefulness. Great costumes which must go down a storm in Neverland and, by my reckoning, Glastonbury.
Ultimately, I think the original text is too busy, trying to do too much, but Lynsey Wallace skilfully manages a large cast, each an original and engaging character, and brings us the magic of Neverland to the magical Minack. It’s interesting isn’t it, that both Rowena Cade and JM Barrie were Victorian / Edwardians who endured the dark nightmare world of the First World War. Perhaps that’s why one created a timeless story and another a timeless space. I’ll never tire of either, who would?
