A Hook-ing Performance
Is Neverland still the dream of eternal adventure and youth or simply, the dream of “a greedy little boy”?
From the classic Disney of our childhoods to new renditions of the tale, the world of Neverland with all its symbolism is held in high regard by many, perhaps more than ever during university. Peter Pan and Wendy recounts the story of the three Darling siblings, particularly Wendy, who feels overwhelmed at her seeming confrontation with ‘growing up’ and being ‘finished at finishing school’. When chasing his shadow, Peter Pan is spotted and begins to describe a world of adventure, childhood and of ‘never growing up’. Emboldened, Wendy, John and Michael fly away to Neverland where they encounter swash-buckling pirates, mermaids and a host of lost boys.
On Friday 29th November, I attended ICSM Drama Soc’s third performance of Peter Pan & Wendy at Union Concert Hall in Beit. There was an immediate sense of community and warmth as various cast members welcomed the audience at the doors. Imperial Marrow were there to raise awareness for the Anthony Nolan stem cell register, selling popcorn galore and raffle tickets to raise funds for their important cause.
Amidst a walking crocodile, a barking dog and a fairy, the characterisations were a definite highlight of the play. The eponymous protagonists were both convincingly portrayed. True to both Gunderson’s adaptation (and very Imperial-coded), I enjoyed Wendy’s passionate dreams of following in the footsteps of Marie Curie and receiving a Nobel Prize. In a very meta moment, Peter Pan and his entire heroic identity in Peter Pan is questioned, spinning the whole second act in disarray. While initially feeling out of place, this revelation in retrospect was effectively built up throughout. Sadly, I felt the usual innocent, childhood love typically portrayed between Peter and Wendy absent.
A few honourable mentions go to the pirate crew, who were hilarious, sporting multitudes of voices and lots and lots singing their motif ‘Argh-Argh-Argh-Argh-Argh’. The Darling Clan and Lost Boys were thought-provoking, bringing appreciation to the very concept of family. Comedic costuming was by far my favourite: the animals, shadow and mermaid were definitive highlights. The supporting cast had cohesive, youthful outfits embodying the whimsical, dream-like Neverland. Truthful to previous adaptations the main cast’s outfits were once again, cheery and appropriate to the contextual, joyous landscape. The script was effective and classic, scattered with intermittent sprinklings of modern, relatable jokes. At times, I felt this was a little overused, but this did not detract from my overall investment in the plot.
Distinguishing itself, the Darling bedroom in London functions as a sanctuary, shielding its inhabitants from both extremes of “growing up” to “become a lady” and the unattainable perfection of youthful Neverland. Functionally, the design layout was simple: a bed, a telescope pointing to the audience and a chest of drawers for Tinker Bell. The crew’s execution of Tinker Bell was great – from her being a flickering light to her audience revival system, as her wings charged up from red to green.
After we are whisked away, we are in Neverland. The backdrop of an oceanic view, painted of golds and rich blues was lovely; I primarily enjoyed the contrast between the Pirate Ship and Cove of treasures to the Lost Boys’ Lair of trinkets. As imagined, these were more complex, each exuding their respective character.
Further, Hook and Peter’s parallels are suddenly stark by Act II and add greater depth to their final confrontation. In particular, the climax fully utilises the entirety of the stage, as dynamic fights ensue – Lost Boy against Pirate, Peter against Hook. The clusters grew and red lighting shrouds all. Then the tick-tock of the clock rang out into the silence. And so, it was won. As we cyclically fly back to the Darling bedroom, nothing has seemingly shifted – except our entire outlook.
Overall, whilst I wasn’t emotionally transcended, I thoroughly enjoyed ICSM Drama Soc’s Peter Pan and Wendy. It is abundantly clear the time, commitment and integral role each member of the cast and crew played in building this incredible performance.
The entirety of the play felt very appropriate to being a student, the atmosphere of nostalgia and joy of the cast and audience was almost tangible and I cannot wait to see what ICSM Drama Soc has to offer next!
