⭐⭐⭐ (Three Stars)

In this adaptation of J. M. Barrie’s 1904 play and 1911 novel Peter and Wendy, retitled Wendy & Peter Pan, playwright Ella Hickson centres Wendy’s story within the well-known plot rather than Peter’s. Grieving the loss of the youngest brother in the Darling family, Wendy (Hannah Saxby), John (Fred Woodley Evans), and Michael (Kwaku Mills) travel by fairy dust to Neverland with Peter Pan (Daniel Krikler) on a quest to bring home their own lost boy. Once there, we meet characters familiar from Barrie’s beloved children’s story, such as Captain Hook (Toby Stephens) and Tiger Lily (Ami Tredea), while Pan’s Lost Boys attempt to convince Wendy to stay with them as their mother, despite her commitment to finding her brother and bringing him home to make their family complete again.

Among the ensemble cast, Hannah Saxby gives a strong performance as Wendy Darling. She captures both the character’s grief and her affection for Peter Pan, and Wendy’s development over the course of the play feels authentic and satisfying. Kwaku Mills, as Wendy’s science-obsessed younger brother Michael, and Scott Karim, as Smee with his unrequited love for Captain Hook, also deliver standout performances, providing many of the show’s funniest moments.

Director Jonathan Munby makes several bold choices in this production, to varying degrees of success. Portraying Tinker Bell as a disembodied light that moves across the stage through the actors’ physicality is a clever way of suggesting her small size and magical nature. However, the decision to have the crocodile stalking Captain Hook played by a human crawling on the floor robs the creature of menace and earned (presumably unintended) laughs from the children in the audience. Furthermore, the characterisation of Peter Pan feels somewhat inconsistent. At times he’s depicted as an over-exaggerated caricature of a child, lacking realism, while at others, he appears far too mature for the character. This is most notable when he tells Wendy, “It happens, babe,” a line unlikely to be spoken by any child, fictional or otherwise, in the early 1900s.

Hickson’s script works best when it stays close to the tone audiences expect from earlier stage and screen adaptations of Barrie’s work. Occasionally, modern slang is introduced - Captain Hook asks Wendy if she thinks Peter has “rizz” or if he “slid into her DMs” - and these moments feel jarringly out of place amid the period dialogue, veering dangerously close to pantomime territory.

Lucy Hind’s choreography and movement direction are highly effective. Highlights include the multiple wired flying sequences, which are really impactful, and the portrayal of Peter’s multiple shadows, who dance across the stage, deliver smooth set transitions, and fluidly carry Peter through some of his moments of flight where he is not using a harness. Similarly, Terry King’s fight direction is impressive, with the sword battles aboard Captain Hook’s ship in the climactic scenes keeping younger audience members on the edge of their seats.

Wendy & Peter Pan features some breathtaking visual moments. Colin Richmond’s set design begins with the intricately decorated Darling children’s bedroom, visible at the sides of the stage throughout, before transforming into multiple Neverland locations such as the forest, the Lost Boys’ underground den, and the Jolly Roger pirate ship thanks to thoughtful staging and beautiful lighting (Oliver Fenwick) and video (Taiki Ueda) design.

Overall, despite some lovely creative choices, touching moments, and stunning visual design, the production as a whole doesn’t quite manage to capture the enduring magic of J. M. Barrie’s classic story.

Wendy & Peter Pan runs at Barbican Theatre until 22nd November 2025.

Tickets Available Here