Peter Pan in Paris

[Rebecca]

Can anybody tell me if there are any JM Barrie/Peter Pan related sites to see in Paris? I would really like to see the theater where the play premiered in France, or the hotel(s) where Barrie stayed when he was in Paris. I thought it might tell me in Andrew's book, but unfortunately my copy is still in Louisiana.

[andrew]

Peter Pan was performed at the Theatre du Vaudeville in June 1908. Not sure where it was, but there's a painting of it by Jean Beruad that you can find on the internet and might give a clue. Barrie usually stayed at the Hotel Meurice on the Rue de Rivoli. Let us know if you discover anything!

[andrew]

PS  I've just checked the database and found that Barrie actually stayed at the Hotel d'Albe on the Champs Elysees during June 1908 - search for "Paris" and you'll find a scan of the letter he wrote to Michael on June 15th...

[Rebecca]

Thanks so much for that information, Andrew! I did some research on the names you supplied, and there is a hotel in Paris called the Hotel d'Albe, but judging from its website, I think it looks too modern to be the same one where JMB stayed. I'm not sure. I also found several sources saying that the Theatre du Vaudeville's original building still exists, but it has been a Paramount Cinema since the 1902s.

I will be making a day trip into Paris tomorrow, but I think my friends will drag me to see the non-JMB-related parts of the city, so I will have to investigate this another time.

I have also been trying to find out whether the L'Hostellerie de Guillaume le Conquérant in Dives-sur-Mer still exists. I have seen some modern photos of a building that greatly resembles the one in the photos of JMB, Sylvia, and Michael playing Romeo and Juliet, but I couldn't figure out if it was the same building or not. One of the many occasions where a better grasp of French would have been extremely useful!

[andrew]

Indeed L'Hostellerie de Guillaume le Conquérant does still exist - or did in 1979 when I last visited, and looked virtually the same as the photos taken in 1906.