Peter Pan at Belvoir St Theatre

Everybody knows Peter Pan. He’s the boy who hasn’t grown up in 113 years. But one night not long ago we sat down and read J. M. Barrie’s original play and we found ourselves in the presence of something faaaaaar stranger, far wilder and far more brilliant than Disney ever let us believe.

This is the story of a strange boy who comes through the window of an ordinary family and takes the children on an adventure to the bush. Well, to Neverland. It is also a mad festival of bedtime and storytime, of uncatchable girls who have a thing for you and Lost Boys who don’t have a thing for you, of rip tides, pirates, ticking crocs, growing up, going home, mothers, fathers, dogs, dreams, and that mad pirate fiend and great big grown-up Captain Hook!

It also happens to be more or less impossible to stage at Belvoir, which is precisely why Ralph Myers – dreamer, designer and boy leader himself – is putting it on. For how better to un-grow up than attempt something that really shouldn’t be attempted? To top it all off, a cast of the country’s most ridiculous actors are along for the ride.