JM Barrie’s tale about the boy who never wants to grow up has delighted audiences and readers since the early 1900s. It is a regular on the Christmas theatre programme but Chickenshed’s adaptation takes Barrie’s original, spins it, and makes it fly above and beyond all that has gone before.
Chickenshed have stuck to Peter Pan’s roots but made the act of telling stories a bigger feature. There’s a troupe of storytellers from today’s world who swoop into the main scenes to interfere and tug at their seams. But Peter Pan, Wendy and the rest of the Darling family remain familiar. Nana – their lovable dog, who also happens to be the children’s nanny – takes the form of a puppet made out of shredded strips of paper and is animated into life. Peter Pan, played by Demar Lambert soars into the air, somersaulting as he goes.
These are just some examples of the creative genius at play in this festive miracle directed by Louise Perry and Michael Bossisse. The 800-strong cast perform on a rotation; and seeing them, vacuum-packed together, on the huge stage is quite the picture. They become the lost people who shoot down Wendy and the pirates who crawl, menacingly, into the audience, roaring and cackling with glee.
The main cast – especially Mouse O’Hehir who channels an adult sensibility into Wendy – are the nucleus of Pan. But the chorus scenes, where people of all ages and abilities band together in song and dance, are when this production reaches its peak. In true Chickenshed style it is a bit rough around the edges, and we could benefit from a few more scenes between Wendy and the Lost People to make her leaving cut deeper.
But really, none of that matters. The company’s philosophy – that theatre should be for everyone – makes their chaotic creations near impossible not to enjoy. Nearly everyone in the main cast has climbed the Chickenshed ranks – Jonny Morton who makes Hook an eye-popping monster, marks his 26th show in 2024. There are many of the same faces from previous years, too. They still look ecstatic to be part of it, and you’d be unlikely to find a theatre that is having more fun this Christmas. That alone is magic.
• At Chickenshed, London, until 11 January
