Barrie’s timeless tale given a radical revamp
When, early into the Birmingham Repertory’s Christmas production, Peter Pan declares “one girl is worth 20 boys”, he sets the ferociously progressive tone for the play.
Liam Steel’s modern take is set in a block of flats in Birmingham, and has Wendy, Michael and John as children in the care system. Wendy, introduced to us as a troubled teenager entering a new foster home, is the true hero in this retelling of the traditional boywho-never-grew-up story. In a quieter moment, she tells a tale of a mother’s addiction to a “potion” that helps her cope – it’s very moving, especially when coupled with a tender closing scene with her new foster mother.
Cora Tsang as Wendy is pleasingly punchy, conveying the duality of a girl who has had to grow up too soon but still wants to be looked after.
She navigates the ambiguously aged character (she is both too old for going dancing but still in a foster home) with vulnerability and strength, giving conviction to this feminist retelling.
Michael Pavelka’s sets are ambitious and impressive, framed around a three-storey block of flats, awash with colour. The aerial choreography that sees several characters glide around the stage on wires is magical and justifies the occasionally clumsy means of attaching the harnesses.
There is true stage magic in the body swaps and gymnastic fighting. Though Mirabelle Gremaud’s Tinkerbell speaks a shrill and maddening nonsense language throughout, her athleticism brings real spectacle to Neverland, with similar gymnastics vitalising tightly choreographed fight scenes.
Nia Gwynne doubles as both a gender-swapped Hook and Wendy’s new foster mother Jess, mirroring the two worlds of fantasy and harsh reality; she deals well with a script that falls short of creating a truly nasty villain. A special mention must also go to her ingeniously designed nemesis: a crocodile made from cars and tyres which almost steals the show.
The songs are hardly toetappers but Lawrence Walker’s energy as Peter Pan gets the audience on board with the music, while also revealing a latent vulnerability in Pan’s reluctance to grow up. At one stage, the house lights briefly come up as the audience cheers to revive a poisoned Tinkerbell, but this brief nod to pantomime here feels a trifle token in what is an otherwise immersive and engaging script.
The rights for JM Barrie’s book still lie with Great Ormond Street hospital, making it a poignant choice for a play exploring the vulnerability of children growing up too soon. The production has a lot of heart and, despite its socially conscious credentials and mature themes, it isn’t afraid of a bit of scatological humour to lighten the tone. Its message of the power of happy thoughts, and deconstruction of the perfect family myth, are well-trodden, but the slick energy of the production makes it a warming December show.