The team behind the global hit, The Play That Goes Wrong, brings their trademark comic mayhem to the J.M. Barrie classic Peter Pan. Peter Pan Goes Wrong is a highly physical comedy packed with finely-tuned and inspired slapstick, delivered with split-second timing and ambitious daring. The play sees the ‘Cornley Drama Society’ back on stage battling technical hitches, flying mishaps and cast disputes as they attempt to present J.M Barrie’s much-loved tale. But will they ever make it to Neverland?
Does the shtick get old? It does and it doesn't. Director Adam Meggido moves things along at a breathless clip that almost immediately obscures any misses with other hits, and the book (by Shields, Henry Lewis, and Jonathan Sayer) nicely develops a couple of B-plots, involving cast romances and ambitions, to keep us hooked. Nancy Zamit and Henry Lewis shine as featured players in a variety of roles, making the most of the play's treasured pantomime influences. And Simon Scullion's turntable set is theme park chic at its finest, spinning wildly as the ramshackle in-show production goes hilariously awry. Is it a kids' show? I can't say it's tailored for adults, but my date and I were delighted by the sheer bravado of its joke-a-minute style, inventive design, and committed performances. And the kids around us were howling with laughter, never feeling condescended to, and even being let in on some curiously naughty jokes. Who knew going wrong would feel so right?
At two hours and five minutes over two acts, the effect of the wackiness wears off a tad toward the end - even though the final chase scene is brilliantly choreographed on Simon Scullion's set of a million secrets. And some adults in the audience (not this one) might turn up their noses at Shields' pantomime-like insistence that kids boo Captain Hook. And they boo a lot. A few theatergoers looked aghast, like some drunks had just thrown their bras at King Lear. To them I'll give the opposite advice that Peter Pan would: Grow up! Shields' self-debasement is delightful. That's really all this lovable cast wants anyway - for us to get rowdy for them to be ridiculed.
General Rush
Price: $45
Where: Barrymore Theatre box office on the day of the performance.
When: Available at each performance when the Box Office opens at 10AM the day of the performance.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Determined at the discretion of the box office. Subject to daily availability.
Digital Lottery:
Price: $40
Where: PanGoesWrongBway.com/Lottery
When: Entries for the Peter Pan Goes Wrong digital lottery starts at 12 AM, one day before the performance, and winners are drawn the same day at 10 AM and 3 PM
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Tickets are subject to availability.
2016 | West End |
West End Return Engagement West End |
2023 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2023 | West End |
West End |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Featured Performer in a Play | Neil Patrick Harris |
2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design of a Play | Roberto Surace |
2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Adam Meggido |
2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Unique Theatrical Experience | Peter Pan Goes Wrong |
2023 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Play | Peter Pan Goes Wrong |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Adam Meggido |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | Peter Pan Goes Wrong |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Scenic Design (Play or Musical) | Simon Scullion |
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