Wendy & Peter Pan: A Sugar-Rush Spectacle That Falls Flat
Ella Hickson's feminist retelling of JM Barrie's timeless tale has been touted as a bold reimagining, but this Royal Shakespeare Company production from 2013 sadly fails to live up to its promise. The play's title, Wendy & Peter Pan, already hints at the revisionism that has taken place, and unfortunately, it's not enough to elevate this sugary-sweet spectacle.
Hannah Saxby shines as Wendy, a protagonist whose inner turmoil is curiously muted, veering wildly from self-doubt to impulsive decision-making. Her character's transformation into a "mother" figure to the Lost Boys feels contrived and unearned, particularly when she suddenly forges an alliance with Tink (Charlotte Mills) and Tiger Lily (Ami Tredrea). The latter's arrival is jarringly abrupt, disrupting the narrative's pacing.
Daniel Krikler's Peter Pan is equally perplexing. His character's inner crisis appears to be a hormonal hot-crush on Wendy, which strains credulity. It's baffling to see a boy who refuses to grow up struggling with adolescent desires, rather than simply remaining youthful and carefree.
The production's dazzling lights and video projections, designed by Taiki Ueda, create a visually stunning experience but also overwhelm the narrative at times. The aerial work and impressive physicality from Harrison Claxton as a roving crocodile are notable highlights. However, even these moments cannot redeem the play's overall lackluster pace.
The supporting cast fares better, with Toby Stephens delivering a memorable performance as the over-the-top Captain Hook. His character's pantomime-esque villainy is on full display, but even this cannot elevate the production's sense of authenticity.
In conclusion, Wendy & Peter Pan has become a theatrical monster that relies too heavily on spectacle rather than substance. Despite its ambitious retelling, the play feels like a shallow sugar rush, failing to hit the spot with its confusing character arcs and panto-esque moments.
Ella Hickson's feminist retelling of JM Barrie's timeless tale has been touted as a bold reimagining, but this Royal Shakespeare Company production from 2013 sadly fails to live up to its promise. The play's title, Wendy & Peter Pan, already hints at the revisionism that has taken place, and unfortunately, it's not enough to elevate this sugary-sweet spectacle.
Hannah Saxby shines as Wendy, a protagonist whose inner turmoil is curiously muted, veering wildly from self-doubt to impulsive decision-making. Her character's transformation into a "mother" figure to the Lost Boys feels contrived and unearned, particularly when she suddenly forges an alliance with Tink (Charlotte Mills) and Tiger Lily (Ami Tredrea). The latter's arrival is jarringly abrupt, disrupting the narrative's pacing.
Daniel Krikler's Peter Pan is equally perplexing. His character's inner crisis appears to be a hormonal hot-crush on Wendy, which strains credulity. It's baffling to see a boy who refuses to grow up struggling with adolescent desires, rather than simply remaining youthful and carefree.
The production's dazzling lights and video projections, designed by Taiki Ueda, create a visually stunning experience but also overwhelm the narrative at times. The aerial work and impressive physicality from Harrison Claxton as a roving crocodile are notable highlights. However, even these moments cannot redeem the play's overall lackluster pace.
The supporting cast fares better, with Toby Stephens delivering a memorable performance as the over-the-top Captain Hook. His character's pantomime-esque villainy is on full display, but even this cannot elevate the production's sense of authenticity.
In conclusion, Wendy & Peter Pan has become a theatrical monster that relies too heavily on spectacle rather than substance. Despite its ambitious retelling, the play feels like a shallow sugar rush, failing to hit the spot with its confusing character arcs and panto-esque moments.
. I mean, it had all the ingredients for something amazing - a strong female lead, a fresh twist on the classic story... but somehow it just fell flat 
. The pacing was all over the place and the character development was wonky too 
. Daniel Krikler's Peter Pan was kinda ridiculous as a hormonal teenager 
and I didn't buy it one bit.
. It felt like they were trying too hard to impress rather than focusing on what really mattered - the story itself 
. Still, some of the aerial work was pretty cool 
and Toby Stephens as Captain Hook was a highlight 
. Overall though, it was a bit of a letdown 
I mean, Interesting... I went into this production thinking it was gonna be all about feminism and reimagining the classic tale, but honestly, it just felt like a bunch of cool visuals and some decent acting amidst a mess of convoluted plot points 
The aerial crocodile fight tho! 
the aerial work was lit tho 
i mean, who doesn't love watching crocodiles soar above the stage? 
but seriously, peter pan is such an iconic character, u gotta get his personality right if u wanna do him justice 
and that performance by toby stephens as captain hook was on point 
. And don't even get me started on Peter Pan himself, his character arc just didn't make sense 
i was really looking forward to this one but it seems like it fell flat for u 
the aerial crocodile scenes tho 
and hannah saxby as wendy is def a plus 
but overall i agree with the review, it's like they prioritized spectacle over storytelling sadly 
Peter Pan is such an iconic character and it's a shame they didn't do him justice. I mean, Daniel Krikler's take on Pan just seems so weird and unearned. and the supporting cast is what really saves the show? that's a bummer 
but at least Toby Stephens as Hook is on point 
maybe they should've stuck to his strengths and not tried to reinvent the whole story? 
and don't even get me started on wendy's transformation into a 'mother' figure 
it's like they took every empowering female trope and mashed them all together without thinking it through 
.
I mean, I love a good spectacle as much as the next person, but this one just fell flat for me. The RSC is known for its amazing work, but this one's got some major issues 
Hannah Saxby was decent as Wendy, but her character felt kinda... off. Like, she went from being super anxious to suddenly becoming a "mother" figure to the Lost Boys? It was like they threw that in there just 'cause it sounded cool 
The aerial work was awesome tho! 
toby stephens as captain hook though 
need more of that! 
. I need to see some evidence of this hormonal hot-crush or whatever before I believe it. Where's the proof? 
! The visuals are pretty cool I guess, but they can't make up for the lack of substance in this story 
I'm still trying to figure out what went wrong here
. And what's up with Peter Pan's love crisis? It's so weird to see him struggling with being young and carefree 
. I think the production did some cool stuff with the lights and video projections, though 
! But overall, it just didn't live up to its potential for me 
.