Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Top 10 things you didn’t know about Peter Pan

Peter Glanville digs out some amazing facts about Fairy Dust and why the most famous lines of the play were cut during productions of the show playing during the first world war

Peter Pan cartoon
Wendy, John, Michael and Peter in the 1953 Disney version of Peter Pan. Photograph: Cine Text / Allstar/Sportsphoto Ltd. / Allstar
Peter Pan has a long history with the theatre – here are some of the most interesting facts I’ve unearthed when making our version at Polka.

1. Peter Pan was originally a play. It was later adapted into the 1911 novel Peter and Wendy.The first stage version opened at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London on 27 December 1904. The Guardian gave it a great review: “Even those who least relish it must admit that no such play was ever seen before on any stage. It is absolutely original — the product of a unique imagination.” The play proved so popular, it was re-staged every year for the next 10 years.

2. JM Barrie was constantly updating the story. The script was rewritten and changed each year. In that spirit, our version of Peter Pan is set in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was a time when the very idea of what it was to be young or old was shifting. By transporting the story to a new era, I hope we can take a fresh look at this familiar tale about growing up or staying young forever.
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