Seeing the original play?

[TheWendybird]

I have been wanting to see the original play...acted as it was in 1904....like what's in my script book from samuel french.....on a video or something.....no one seems to put off the original play anymore..it's always the (pardon me but...) annoying Mary Martin version...not that I don't find any fun in that version but it's nothing compared to the original script...I really want to see the ORIGINAL play ..not musical..of Peter Pan...does anyone have a clue how to go about this? Where can I find this?

[mikey2573]

I don't think the "original play" really exists to be produced.  I know that the 1904 rehearsal script is in the YALE rare books library, but no one ever does that version.  I do not think even Barrie did that version after a while.  He seemed to be always tinkering and fixing it.
I just finished reading the book FIFTY YEARS OF PETER PAN (highly recommneded) and I am not sure I would want to see the original version. It sounded a little rough.  It ended with Peter and Wendy in their house in the trees "waving their handkerchiefs "Goodbye"  at the audience."
 WHAT?
I think the closest thing we might have is the Trevor Nunn/John Caird version (but OH the Storyteller role almost RUINS it!).
I am trying my best to adapt a new version that takes all the best parts of  EVERY version (including the recent film). I know I know! The play isn't in the public domain...yet.

[TheWendybird]

I don't think the "original play" really exists to be produced.  I know that the 1904 rehearsal script is in the YALE rare books library, but no one ever does that version.  I do not think even Barrie did that version after a while.  He seemed to be always tinkering and fixing it.
I just finished reading the book FIFTY YEARS OF PETER PAN (highly recommneded) and I am not sure I would want to see the original version. It sounded a little rough.  It ended with Peter and Wendy in their house in the trees "waving their handkerchiefs "Goodbye"  at the audience."
 WHAT?
I think the closest thing we might have is the Trevor Nunn/John Caird version (but OH the Storyteller role almost RUINS it!).
I am trying my best to adapt a new version that takes all the best parts of  EVERY version (including the recent film). I know I know! The play isn't in the public domain...yet.

My script which I thought was the original ends with Wendy leaving neverland on a broomstick.

[AlexanderDavid]

My script which I thought was the original ends with Wendy leaving neverland on a broomstick.

You might have the version I have, which is the 1928 published version--that's considerably different from the original 1904 version.  I don't know much about it, but from what I've heard, most of the changes made toward the story as we currently know it were done after that first year, so by 1905.  After that, though, he continued to tweak it (mostly to Hook's soliloquy at the beginning of the pirate ship scene, which didn't originally exist) until he published it in 1928.

I don't know much about the 1904 original, but it didn't have the Mermaids' Lagoon scene, and it had Peter's goat, I think, and the "20 Beautiful Mothers" scene....

[TheWendybird]

My script which I thought was the original ends with Wendy leaving neverland on a broomstick.

You might have the version I have, which is the 1928 published version--that's considerably different from the original 1904 version.  I don't know much about it, but from what I've heard, most of the changes made toward the story as we currently know it were done after that first year, so by 1905.  After that, though, he continued to tweak it (mostly to Hook's soliloquy at the beginning of the pirate ship scene, which didn't originally exist) until he published it in 1928.

I don't know much about the 1904 original, but it didn't have the Mermaids' Lagoon scene, and it had Peter's goat, I think, and the "20 Beautiful Mothers" scene....

I'd be very very curious to see the script of the very original.

[AlexanderDavid]

My script which I thought was the original ends with Wendy leaving neverland on a broomstick.

You might have the version I have, which is the 1928 published version--that's considerably different from the original 1904 version.  I don't know much about it, but from what I've heard, most of the changes made toward the story as we currently know it were done after that first year, so by 1905.  After that, though, he continued to tweak it (mostly to Hook's soliloquy at the beginning of the pirate ship scene, which didn't originally exist) until he published it in 1928.

I don't know much about the 1904 original, but it didn't have the Mermaids' Lagoon scene, and it had Peter's goat, I think, and the "20 Beautiful Mothers" scene....

I'd be very very curious to see the script of the very original.

Me too--but I suppose the early draft on the site is the closest to it that is that easy to come by.  I'm pretty sure things changed in the script from that draft before the first performance, though....  Andrew?