Cross Dressing in Peter Pan/The First Male Peter Pan

[AlexanderDavid]

Yes, you are right about the voice - Ciaran Kellgren sounded like a teenager, not a child. Unfortunately, it seems the 2003 movie has set the tone for putting more emphasis on first love/sexual tension between Peter and Wendy in any interpretation. Peter is hardly ever now portrayed as a naughty, selfish, impetuous - but brave - boy, but more like a cocky adolescent.

Going back to Peter's costume, I was intrigued to find that it's quite possible he was dressed in red (complete with red tights) in the early productions, rather than green. Of course, you can't see it from the b&w photographs, but the first picture books published in colour always showed him in red: the 1914 edition illustrated by Alice Woodward, Flora White's ABC in 1914. There's also a beautiful wax figurine of Jean Forbes-Robertson as PP from the 1920s in a red costume. Mabel Lucie Attwell seems to be the first one to illustrate him in green in a book, followed by Gwynedd Hudson's glorious illustrations of the 30s. Does anyone have any information on this? Are there any contemporaneous reviews that mention colour?

Hmm... well this perhaps might be more suited for a separate thread, but this is something me and my g/f have been mulling over for a couple months... the ignored -- until recently -- romantic aspect of the Peter Pan story. Barrie really didn't focus on it at all, but there are subtle hints of it throughout. To ignore it in storytelling seems like a missed opportunity to me. The voice is one thing, but to say that "tension" between Peter and Wendy means that Peter is being portrayed as a teenager is just plain nearsightedness. It's obviously not common, but it is completely possible for children to fall in love with one another, even before puberty. I think this is a reality that many people can't accept though, because it messes with a lot of preconceptions about children.

If Peter was really more often depicted in red, that just makes this dilemma chuckle-worthy, because... unless the meanings were different in the previous century, the color red symbolizes passion.

What about Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens?  There, a week-old BABY asks a four-year-old girl to MARRY him and she's inclined to accept at first.  I'll grant you that children that young are scarcely likely to understand the full implications of marriage, but imagine how that sounds to modern (adult) ears....

I don't know anything about the color, but I remember that in Finding Neverland the costume was NOT green.  Anyway, Hook's costume IS traditionally red, is it not?

[TheWendybird]

Yes, you are right about the voice - Ciaran Kellgren sounded like a teenager, not a child. Unfortunately, it seems the 2003 movie has set the tone for putting more emphasis on first love/sexual tension between Peter and Wendy in any interpretation. Peter is hardly ever now portrayed as a naughty, selfish, impetuous - but brave - boy, but more like a cocky adolescent.

Going back to Peter's costume, I was intrigued to find that it's quite possible he was dressed in red (complete with red tights) in the early productions, rather than green. Of course, you can't see it from the b&w photographs, but the first picture books published in colour always showed him in red: the 1914 edition illustrated by Alice Woodward, Flora White's ABC in 1914. There's also a beautiful wax figurine of Jean Forbes-Robertson as PP from the 1920s in a red costume. Mabel Lucie Attwell seems to be the first one to illustrate him in green in a book, followed by Gwynedd Hudson's glorious illustrations of the 30s. Does anyone have any information on this? Are there any contemporaneous reviews that mention colour?

Hmm... well this perhaps might be more suited for a separate thread, but this is something me and my g/f have been mulling over for a couple months... the ignored -- until recently -- romantic aspect of the Peter Pan story. Barrie really didn't focus on it at all, but there are subtle hints of it throughout. To ignore it in storytelling seems like a missed opportunity to me. The voice is one thing, but to say that "tension" between Peter and Wendy means that Peter is being portrayed as a teenager is just plain nearsightedness. It's obviously not common, but it is completely possible for children to fall in love with one another, even before puberty. I think this is a reality that many people can't accept though, because it messes with a lot of preconceptions about children.

If Peter was really more often depicted in red, that just makes this dilemma chuckle-worthy, because... unless the meanings were different in the previous century, the color red symbolizes passion.

What about Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens?  There, a week-old BABY asks a four-year-old girl to MARRY him and she's inclined to accept at first.  I'll grant you that children that young are scarcely likely to understand the full implications of marriage, but imagine how that sounds to modern (adult) ears....

I don't know anything about the color, but I remember that in Finding Neverland the costume was NOT green.  Anyway, Hook's costume IS traditionally red, is it not?

I just love that scene between Peter and Maimie in Little White Bird/Peter Pan in Kensington gardens...it's sooooo adorable! And she was the forerunner to who Wendy was..so it makes perfect sense. I'd love to see this explored in a version of Peter Pan..i think the 2003 movie showed it well with that Fairy Dance for sure ..I don't care what any of you say that scene is pure gold...I just think it was adorable even if you are a complete purist there's nothing wrong with it for sure. So so so cute!

Anyhow the 2003 movie had something kinda like that (like the Little White Bird) but a bit more erm....as was said..sexual tension stuff. Then again I dunno if you have to be a teen even for sexual tension. We're born sexual creatures so...all those impish grins Jeremy Sumpter gave Rachel Hurd Wood..even if they had been younger...prably wouldn't shock me. Had they acted on it sexually I might have wondered what the directors real intentions were lol I will say one thing I wished Jeremy Sumpter had done is to learn to speak like a brit. I absolutely love the accent and want to hear a Peter that talks that way.

I've heard that PJ Hogan and his wife worked on that movie together and that they were kind of the resident real life "peter & wendy"...and I can't remember i think it might have been Lynn Redgrave who said this..I can't remember who was being interviewed but someone said something about it being their love you see up there on screen between peter & wendy..i absolutely love it that they explored that way HOWEVER wish there had been more mother issue type of stuff in it as well. I wanted to see Wendy comforting Peter with his nightmares etc

[mikey2573]

In the PETER PAN that I am currently co-directing Peter is played by a boy in 5th grade, so he is about ten years old. I have not told the Flying by Foy people that yet so I hope they can still fly him.  And it is only for one week.  Then again, look at the stamina of those BILLY ELLIOT boys!  They do their own flying, though they don't do 8 shows a week.  Perhaps the only way to do a boy as Peter on stage for a long run is to go the BILLY ELLIOT route and cast 3 or 4 boys to alternate.

[TheWendybird]

In the PETER PAN that I am currently co-directing Peter is played by a boy in 5th grade, so he is about ten years old. I have not told the Flying by Foy people that yet so I hope they can still fly him.  And it is only for one week.  Then again, look at the stamina of those BILLY ELLIOT boys!  They do their own flying, though they don't do 8 shows a week.  Perhaps the only way to do a boy as Peter on stage for a long run is to go the BILLY ELLIOT route and cast 3 or 4 boys to alternate.

Good idea! I think that works!

[smarcus88]

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and commentary. I may post more questions to gather more insight as I continue my research and writing!!