The story of Peter Pan is a beloved tale of childhood resistance to growing up, mischievous adventure and dealing with the seemingly harsh realities of the adult world. With its wonderful mix of fairies, pirates, and kids who can defy gravity it is the kind of tale that appeals to children and adults.
In Auckland Theatre Company’s Peter Pan, adapted by Carl Bland the plot stays close to the original story but has some modern updates such as the use of an electronic tablet to read stories and the reimagining of Tiger Lilly (Tess Sullivan) as a wolf.
In it, Peter Pan (Theo Shakes) appears at the bedroom window of Wendy (Nova Moala-Knox) and John (Angus Stevens) as their mother Mrs Darling (Tupe Lualua) reads to them. He loses his shadow in the process and Wendy helps him reconnect to it. Lurking in the room and filled with jealously is Tinkerbell (Junghwi Jo) who creates mayhem when Peter eventually takes the children to Neverland.
Now in the original story, Neverland is a tropical island paradise with dense forests and sparkling lagoons, but in this production it resembles Narnia under the White Witch and is therefore covered in snow. Peter and the lost boys are at war with Captain Hook (Jennifer Ludlam who also plays Mr Darling) and her gang of pirates headed by her second in command Smee (Andrew Grainger). I’m sure you know the rest of the story with its battles and moral dilemmas and how it all gets resolved in the end.
There are many things to praise in this production. Ludlam is a delight as Hook and in one scene makes continual transformations between him and Mr Darling in what is masterful moment of theatrical sleight of hand.
Some of the musical moments are delightful and I make special mention of a song of loneliness performed by Skate (Lotima Nicholas Pome’e) which was simply stunning in its emotional intensity and vocal purity.
The fight scenes were well done, as was the scene where Pan is reunited with his shadow. There was a real dog on stage a number of times who seemed to steal the show and some very seductive mermaids. As is usual in Nightlong productions, the use of puppets added a whimsical dimension to the play. That reached its zenith with the appearance of a larger than life, cleverly designed and intimidating looking crocodile. mermaids
There were also some powerful emotional scenes where characters shared their deepest feelings and fears such as when Wendy and Skate, who were prisoners on board Hook’s ship, discover their true relationship to one another.
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But Peter Pan also had some problematic areas. There appeared to be technical issues at times and quite a few moments when the microphones failed to work consistently. The live music and singing were lovely but at times overpowered the dialogue.
My overall impression of this version of Peter Pan is a collective desire to create a magical and fun experience for its audience by reworking the story into a modern setting while paying homage to its original story. In many ways the elements were there and the production demonstrated considerable creative flair.
But while everyone involved knew their lines and their places on set I would have liked to have seen and felt deeper emotional connection between the characters and greater nuance with each personality.
In many ways, the ingredients were all there and in many moments it worked, but on opening night the production felt a little undercooked.
Photo credit – Andi Crown
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Peter Pan **new shows added
By Carl Bland
8 October – 3 November 2024
ASB Waterfront Theatre
Duration: 1 hour and 50 minutes including interval