Fans cosplay in Peter Pan costumes during the Walt Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim, California on September 9, 2022. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP via Getty Images)
“All children, except one, grow up,” wrote Scottish playwright James Barrie in Peter Pan, telling the tale of a mischievous, free-spirited boy who embarks on an adventurous journey on the Island of Neverland, where he lives.
What makes this story popular and timeless is its ability to reach both young and older audiences. For children, it encourages imagination, being adventurous and being curious about the world, while it invites adults to reminisce over the innocence of their youth and reflect on finding beauty in the midst of challenges.
Director and theatre-maker Janice Honeyman will be putting on an adaptation of the story at the Joburg Theatre in November. She previously brought it to the stage in 2014.
Speaking about the production in an interview with Top Billing, Honeyman said it was a beautiful way to bring families together.
“It’s got good, it’s got evil, it’s got optimism, it’s got staying young, flying — it’s got all of those dreams that kids and adults love,” she said.
The Duke of York’s Theatre in London was the first to stage Peter Pan; or, The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up on 27 December 1904 and since then it’s been adapted into films, stage productions, video games and animated series.
Accompanied by his friend the fairy Tinker Bell, Peter Pan takes three children — Wendy, John and Michael Darling — on a trip to explore the wonders of his magical home in Neverland where they meet the Lost Boys, a group of six of which Peter Pan is the leader.
While with the Lost Boys, the Darling children get captured by pirates. Peter and Tinker Bell try to rescue them.
Tickets for this production are already on sale, ranging from R130 to R350. You can purchase them by clicking here.