Peter Pan, April 5, 1997

by Arena Theatre & Back to Back

Fairfax Studio until April 16, 1997

Reviewed by Kate Herbert around April 3, 1997

Peter Pan thinks that being a man has whiskers on it. He wants to play, fight, dream and stay a boy forever. However, he does want a mother for himself and the Lost Boys in Never Never Land so he seduces Wendy into flying away with him. Psychologists could have a field day with this allegory.

Arena and Back to Back Theatres have joined forces to create Peter Pan on stage for 8 to 13 year olds. Pam Laversha's adaptation of J.M. Barrie with Rosemary Myers' direction and an interesting design by John Bennett, is an eccentric, visual rock music spectacle. Much of it works with some less successful moments interspersed.

The narrative is bumpy and some obvious omissions are problematic. The Crocodile and its ticking are never explained properly, Peter is  not seeking his shadow but a Game Boy video game. This may be an up-date but it dilutes the mystery and magic of the boy who never grows up. The story rushes too hastily to a conclusion.

Peter Farnan's music elevates the terror of Captain Hook (Ian Scott) and the romance of the flying, kissing and fantasy scenes. The abstract flying was more effective than Peter and Wendy's harnesses which were clumsy and gratuitous. There was also too much unnecessary set moving.

Sue Giles gives a delightfully ironic edge to Wendy, satirising the role of mums. Ian Pidd is a engaging, wicked and manipulative Peter. Ian Scott's Hook is suitably terrifying but admirably vulnerable and needy while Sonia Teuben from Back to Back has impeccable timing as his clownish, obsequious side-kick, Smee.

 Tinkerbell (Rita Halaberec) is an hilarious, moody and vengeful purple fairy, "much bigger than I expected." It is a problem that her dialogue is often incomprehensible but the message gets through.

Back to Back has generally worked with fairy tales about outsiders highlighting issues arising for its performers who have varying degrees of intellectual disability. Peter Pan is an appropriate forum but there are some problems with its execution here. However, the kids, even tots, seemed to enjoy it and despite the odd confusion or flat spot, I had a hoot.

KATE HERBERT