THERE’S no point in being grown-up if you can’t be childish from time and time. And it takes a visit to Neverland for us to see it.
Reading Rep Theatre’s 10th anniversary season continues with a new take on Peter Pan.
For audiences used to the Disney animation, the pantomime version played for laughs, or even Robin Williams’ Hook, to see a stripped-back production can come as a bit of a shock.
There is one stage, abet with a raised level, and one small company of actors, tasked to swap roles as the action demands.
But it is a show that captivated the audience, whatever their age.
In case you’ve managed to avoid all previous versions of JM Barrie’s classic tale, this is the story of a little boy who never grew up, who one day flies into the lives of Wendy Darling and her two brothers.
He spirits them away to Neverland, where they meet the Lost Boys – a tribe of, well, lost boys – and cross swords with the dastardly Captain Hook.
Add in the fairy Tinkerbell, who manages to save the day and gets us all to believe in fairies, and you have a magical tale that has endured through the ages.
Reading Rep’s version features a young cast, with some daring choices.
Amy Ambrose, for example, trebles up. At the start, she is Mrs Darling, all sweetness and light. Then she’s Captain Hook, ready to chew the scenery, and then she’s a narrator.
Similar shared roles come for Jake Ford Lane as Mr Darling and Smee, Eugene Evans as John and Cookson, and Joe Swift as Michael and Starkey.
The costume switches are minimal, relying on the actors’ visual and verbal cues to help us readjust to their new roles.
Only Holly Burns and Marley Lockhart, as Wendy and Peter Pan, keep to a singular role, but given this is their story, that is not surprising.
The REP company complete the cast, with Anvia Costa, Sam Francomb, David Hill, Aiden Marshall, Zoe Peters and Sharae Williams playing mainly Lost Boys and sometimes pirates.
Although Reading Rep says the show is suitable for ages four upwards, it is a full-length play that relies on full use of imagination. The littlest little ones may find this a challenge.
For those that can see past the minimal staging, this is a show that reaps the rewards. The young cast work hard to create a convincing world that truly will have you believing not just in fairies, but in stories, in love and in growing up.
It is the perfect springtime treat and a good introduction to theatre for younger audiences.
Reading Repertory Theatre is a multi-award winning theatre, including a Pride of Reading award for its cultural contribution in 2016, with founding artistic director Paul Stacey also receiving the Pride of Reading Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2021.
Peter Pan is running at Reading Repertory Theatre from Thursday, April 6, to Saturday, April 29.
Full details and access to tickets are available via: readingrep.com
