Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Hated Mothers

[andrew]

Entirely thanks to the efforts of Céline-Albin Faivre, who runs the highly individual French website sirjmbarrie.com, an adaptation I made of "Peter Pan" some years ago - "Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Hated Mothers" - is opening in Marseilles next month - in French!

Although I call it "my" adaptation, virtually every word of dialogue is Barrie's, culled from the various drafts of the play, novel and screenplay that exist - so it's really just the choices that are mine, including of course the cuts. The title is Barrie's too, albeit one that was swiftly axed, as is the idea of having Hook played by the actress cast as Mrs Darling.

For anyone who's interested, the theatre's website is:

http://www.lestheatres.net/IMG/pdf/DOSSIER_DE_PRESSE_-_PETER_PAN.pdf

Come rain or shine in terms of the production, I am of course immeasurably grateful to Céline for not only translating my adaptation, but finding a theatre and director willing to mount it.  She is truly devoted to Barrie, and has already translated "The Little White Bird" and "Margaret Ogilvy" into French, with others on the way. Hopefully she will join me on stage in Kirriemuir come May....
 

[Holly G.]

I will be in Kirriemuir; I will be honoured and happy to be there.
Even if every word of the dialogue is Barrie's it's also your admirable work. The end of the adaptation is wonderful and the way you shaped Barrie's different drafts of Peter Pan into this play is marvellous. I daresay this adaptation is better than the original play that everyboby knows. I hope the director did a great job. Let's keep our fingers firmly crossed.

[TheWendybird]

Andrew is there any way to be able to read your version? I would love to see it!

[andrew]

I will post my adaptation on this site, but only after I've been given the all-clear from GOSH in terms of copyright.

[TheWendybird]

Awesome! Can't wait! If you are not allowed to post it can it be e-mailed in a format that can be read on computer?

[AlexanderDavid]

Awesome! Can't wait! If you are not allowed to post it can it be e-mailed in a format that can be read on computer?

I don't know what the rules are, and I can't speak for either GOSH or Andrew, but I would think that if he couldn't post it he couldn't e-mail it either....

At any rate I hope he is allowed to post it, because I'm curious about it too!

[TheWendybird]

Hmm i wouldn't think that was the case because people exchange fan fics of things...over e-mail and what not...although maybe it's different for some reason hmm

[AlexanderDavid]

Hmm i wouldn't think that was the case because people exchange fan fics of things...over e-mail and what not...although maybe it's different for some reason hmm

The only real difference I can think of offhand (again, maybe I'm wrong) would be that e-mails are harder to legislate because it's harder to go through those than a public website.

Anyway, hopefully the whole issue will be moot.

[Holly G.]

On Wednesday I attended the rehearsals of Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Hated Mothers, in Marseille.
I really loved what I saw.
This is the first time I have ever seen such an amazing Peter Pan.
 
I am not saying this because I translated Andrew's play, or because I contributed some ideas.
The main work is not mine.
 
I am not easily impressed - I vomited  during the performance of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens last summer! - but can honestly say that I am really enthusiastic about this production.
 
The actress (Fanny Avram) who 'gives life' to Peter Pan is a dancer, and is absolutely GREAT!
I like the cast and the crew.
Peter Pan the Punk!! - a wonderfully anarchic staging.
Mrs. Darling is Hook, and, trust me, you will be scared!
It won't be a play 'for children', or Disneyesque, thank God.
 
I am sure Barrie would be very gratified that he has been taken seriously.
 I uploaded  some (bad) photographs here:

http://www.picnik.com/show/id/7006499271_JWRw3/t/peter-pan-au-thtre-du-gymnase

 before uploading them my own website for the French.
 
Stay tuned! I will post something else later.

The premiere is on February 26th.
 
 

[Holly G.]

A short video recorded by the French TV:

http://rosesdedecembre.blogspot.com/

[andrew]

God, it looks wonderful - my heart's in my mouth - could it be that I'll finally get to see the Peter Pan of my fantasy? The girl playing Peter looks brilliant - "delicate as a moth, deadly as a bomb" ... oh dear, I can't bear the thought of disappointment - maybe, like Des Esseintes at the end of "A Rebours", I should get as far as the railway station and then turn back.....

[Holly G.]

I feel exactly the same. I am shivering. I am biting my nails to the quick.
When I read your words, some tears were crawling on my face. We can't be disappointed. It would be so cruel. I'd like to stop all the clocks in the world.
I told myself: stay at home and you will never know, you won't be hurt if they failed it. But... No, I will face it.
The girl who is playing Peter is really special. I told her what I felt.
Don't turn back. I am waiting for you.
I'll be there whatever happens.
(And I love this book. The French don't read Huysmans any more, I fear... and it's a shame.) 

[andrew]

Well for once in my life the reality exceeded the fantasy! Without doubt the best = truest Peter Pan I've ever seen, either on stage or screen. Such energy, such spirit, such imagination! The girl playing Peter is magic - but so too is Wendy - and Tootles - and Mrs Darling as Hook gave "him" the edge - and nobility - he has always lacked in the versions I've ever seen.

I found it extraordinarily moving, yet never sentimental - quite the reverse in fact, with Peter a punk and Wendy initially played as a pouting teenager (until the lost boys engender her mothering instincts) how could it have been. The theatre was completely full, half the audience being children, and they all seemed as swept away by the experience as I was.

The production looks set to tour France, and I shall certainly make every effort to see it again. My enormous gratitude to the cast and crew - and again all thanks to Celine, without whom it would have remained just another fantasy in my bottom drawer of unrealised projects...

[Hannah High]

My God...sounds amazing, amazing. I got a glance at the photos and such, thank you so much for the glimpse, Holly. Soooooooooo ENVIOUS of you, Andrew, but so thrilled to imagine you riding the sweeping the drama and that Peter on stage has finally heard his true drumming heart. Finally! Wonderful. I hope it continues to spread for children and those who once were children.

Thank you, Celiene, thank you Andrew and Sir James! Hope to someday see it too, hope! hope! Peter, my the window is open again...

[TheWendybird]

How great is that...I wish I could see it