Wendy & Peter Pan

Wendy & Peter Pan
Written by	Ella Hickson
Based on	Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Date premiered	10 December 2013 (2013-12-10)
Place premiered	Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Setting	Winter 1908, London and Neverland

Background

Playwright Ella Hickson was commissioned to write a new adaptation of Peter Pan for the Christmas show in Gregory Doran's first season as artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company for winter 2013.

This version of the classic children's story is told through Wendy Darling's perspective as she meets Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up. She and her brothers, John and Michael, fly away with Pan and Tinker Bell to Neverland where they meet with the Lost Boys and battle the evil Captain Hook. This feminist re-working of the story prominently discovers some of the darker themes within the original story and introduces some new characters, such as Tom, a fourth child of the Darling family.

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Productions

Summarize

Perspective

Stratford-upon-Avon (2013-14) and (2015-16)

The play had its premiere on 10 December 2013 where it ran at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon until 2 March 2014. The production was directed by Jonathan Munby, designed by Colin Richmond, music by Oliver Fox and Jason Carr, lighting by Oliver Fenwick, sound by Christopher Shutt and fights by Terry King.

For Christmas 2015 the production was revived by the RSC at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre where it began on 25 November 2015, with previews from 17 November, and ran until 31 January 2016. The play had received some changes from the 2013 production, such as new changes to the score by Oliver Fox and Jason Carr, new script and scene changes including flying and fighting scenes. Many members of the cast had also changed from the previous production.^[1]

Edinburgh (2018-19)

A new production directed by Eleanor Rhode, starring Isobel McArthur as Wendy Darling and Ziggy Heath as Peter Pan, ran at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh from 29 November 2018 to 5 January 2019.

Leeds (2021-22)

A revival was commissioned as part of the Christmas 2022 season at the Leeds Playhouse, with original director Jonathan Munby returning. It was previously performed as part of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo at the Bunkamura in summer 2021.^[2]

London (2025)

The Bunkamura/Leeds production is opened as part of the RSC's Autumn season at the Barbican Centre, London from 21 October to 22 November 2025, with original director Jonathan Munby again returning. Toby Stephens starred as Mr Darling/Captain Hook.^[3]

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Characters and cast