J M Barrie’s classic tale of the boy who never grew up will once again be showcased in the nation’s capital as a large tent is erected in Kensington Gardens this summer for a state of the art production. As part of this, a 360 degree scenic design will be implanted inside the tent to provide wonderful backdrops to the actors – it also means that Neverland will be truly brought to life. The great tent involved will be capable of seating up to 1,100 people with an array of different facilities on offer that includes a bar and restaurant. This is a production for the whole family to enjoy, as a classic children’s story is brought to life in a unique setting.
In “Peter Pan”, we are introduced to the boy who never grew up when he visits Wendy Darling in her London house. The Darling Family children consists of Wendy and her two brothers Michael and John and all three of them are taken on a magical adventure when Peter Pan lands in their bedroom. He takes them to the fantasy world of Neverland, where Peter and his gang of runaways live and survive. They are also at war with the villainous Captain Hook, an evil pirate.
Pan is supposedly based on the brother of J M Barrie, who had died at a young age. The author subsequently based a boy who would never grow up on this tragic occurrence. Barrie first started writing after working for a degree at the University of Edinburgh. He started work for a newspaper in the city of Nottingham and began to write plays. His most famous creation, “Peter Pan” first appeared in his novel The Little White Bird before debuting in the 1904 stage play “Peter Pan”. Over the years this story has been given various different names, such as The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up, then later down the line Peter and Wendy and “Peter Pan” and Wendy. Most people will recognise the creation from the 1953 animated movie version developed by Disney pictures.
“Peter Pan” is adapted by Tanya Ronder and will be directed by Ben Harrison. It can be seen at Kensington Gardens from Wednesday 10th June 2009 (previews from Tuesday 26th May 2009) and is currently booking until Sunday 30th August 2009.