Peter Pan – Belvoir
The Belvoir stage transforms from '80s bedroom to Neverland to treacherous waters.
Overview
Peter Pan is a tragic figure. His happy days in Neverland are so attractive because they are contrasted by the story's inherent melancholy. He is, after all, a lost boy, stuck in time. He is an object of nostalgia for adults and an off-kilter hero to children. He's both fun and sad, heroic and innocent. Tommy Murphy's adaptation now playing at Belvoir is clear and true to the James Matthew Barrie classic, and Ralph Myers' direction highlights the levity of Peter's adventures whilst shying away from the displacement and isolation of the story. We follow a rambunctious cast of nine as they cavort happily from bedroom to sky to treacherous waters.
The jolly times take place in Robert Cousins' simple set, filled with a world globe, a bunk bed, and a handy drum kit that doubles as a hiding place. The set effectively transforms from suburban '80s bedroom to Neverland to Captain Hook's ship. A two-sided cupboard is a multi-functional magic space into which characters disappear. Harriet Dyer, playing the twins, uses it to great effect, chasing her own terry-towelling-clad tail in and out. Upstage centre is a sliding window opening out onto Belvoir Street, which will blow the minds of the spatially challenged who may have thought the stage faced the opposite way. Damien Cooper's lighting design effectively hints at other worlds waiting to be explored, with high-wattage pale blue light streaming in through the window.
The adventuring takes some time to kick off. Murphy has retained some quaint, turn-of-last-century phrasing, which at times gives the dialogue a strange, halted rhythm. Indeed, the first half is slow, and comic moments are due to individual actors' own efforts rather than tightly directed ensemble hilarity. Dyer and Jimi Bani stand out as comically strong members of the cast, and Charlie Garber playing Captain Hook does excellent melodrama, while Paula Arundell playing the mother is withheld. Meyne Wyatt playing Peter has been directed as a jokey dreamer, which works for the most part but falls down at the end during the sadder scenes.
There are some beautifully directed moments, such as Tinker Bell's brush with death, which Megan Holloway executes nimbly with a glass bell and bowl of water. But generally, the show is slow-moving and plays at one level. It doesn't quite manage the double coding necessary to appeal to adults and children alike.
That said, to make Peter Pan into a harmless piece of entertainment is no crime, and to be reminded of the beautiful story is a treat.
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