Peter Pan at the National Theatre 2016

[Dani1923]

I just read about a production of Peter Pan that happened in 2016 at the National Theatre that double casted Captain Hook with Mrs. Darling! I had thought Andrew was the only one to do this with his production!
I tried to search for posts of anyone talking about this production, but couldn’t find any. So did anyone here see it? What did you think? Do you think they did the Hook/Mrs. Darling double casting right? I’m very curious!

[andrew]

Yes, I saw it – and thought it brilliant, by far the best Peter Pan I’ve ever seen. I met with Sally Cook and the cast several times, and wrote the blurb for their program. Not that I would take any credit for the production – it was entirely hers.

[Dani1923]

Oh wow! If you’re giving it such glowing reviews, I definitely need to check it out!
I’ve just been trying to see if there’s a DVD to purchase or a full-version of the play online, but unfortunately for me, the only way to get a filmed version of the play is to be a teacher and use it for educational purposes.
I’ll just to have to make do with watching the clips of it that are available and hope that someone sells a DVD of it someday!

[Hannah Grippo]

A teacher? I hope I can order one for my students when we study Peter Pan. That won't be for awhile though. Hope it's still available.

[andrew]

The NT filmed it and distributed it for one day only to UK cinemas, so it definitely exists. It was brilliant - totally irreverent with the letter of the law - aka the text - but miraculously faithful to the spirit, and that's what matters, in my not-so-humble opinion. The prelude to the Pirate Ship scene was spine-chilling... Hook (played by whoever played Mrs Darling) stripped down to her bra and knickers, delivering her soliloquy while the obsequious Smee gradually dresses her in full pirate kit -- do not go to your graves without seeing it!

[Brutus]

I saw Sally Cook's adaptation when it premiered at the Old Vic Theatre in Bristol two years before it came to the National Theatre. In that first production, Hook wasn't played by a woman but the actor who did was great. I also enjoyed it a lot - like Andrew said, more for the joyful spirit than anything else. My only criticism was Nana: she was played by a big burly man dressed as a woman dressed as a dog. It was too close to a panto dame and it jarred. I don't know whether they did the same at the NT.

I had my ticket for the National Theatre show, but I couldn't go at the last minute as I fell ill with flu. I was very sorry to miss it.

[Dani1923]

I really hope I can see the recording of it one day!

Also Andrew, just so you know, the actress who played Mrs Darling/Hook is named Anna Francolini.

[Dani1923]

Even though a video of this production of Peter Pan doesn’t exist to the public right now, I found the script of the play on Amazon, got it, and just finished reading it.
Andrew was right! It does seem like a very great production! It is very creative in how at times the story utilizes the use of household objects like watering cans, umbrellas, and blankets to create new things, reminds me of theatre games. Ironically, the very inaccurate Peter and the Starcatchers play also did this! I love how the female Hook is written! Wish there could have been more of her! My favorite thing that they did with her was a creative slight change from the Peter and Wendy book when Hook kills a pirate when he first appears to show his nastiness, but female Hook kills a pirate because he likes teddy bears! It’s both frightening and hilarious, I love it!
They do leave little things out from the original book, but it’s not a big deal. And they do change some things from the book too, but sometimes they’re just as good as what was in the book, in my opinion, like Hook’s last speech before she gets eaten by the crocodile.
There was one thing I didn’t like though, but you can possibly call this a nitpick, but I didn’t like when they would reference modern things, like walkie-talkies, and playing music that the characters should not know of their existence, which disturbingly reminded me of 2015’s Pan, and there was one part I found particularly cringy, when Peter and Tiger Lily do a dance-off and Peter has to breakdance! Huh??
And you could take these modern things out, and it wouldn’t change the story at all!
Also, there are songs in this play, although it’s not structured like a musical so I wouldn’t call it one, and it’s not supposed to be a musical anyway. One of the songs, a fish finger sandwiches song, is the only one on YouTube right now. That song and the lyrics to the rest of the songs, of course I don’t know what the rest the songs sound like, are very creative and well put into the stories and characters, and I think at least most of the songs are better than the ones in the actual Peter Pan musical!
Overall, this play is very well written and a great and creative adaptation of the original story as Barrie told it, and if you’re unable to see the filmed version of this show, you should get the script!