Theatre
Review
Skill/«l l‘xi HA1 [E l PETER PAN Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Tue 22—Sat 26 Feb
With Disney getting its corporate paws all over Winnie the Pooh, it’s nice to know that some institutions are in safe hands. AA Milne may well be spinning in his grave, but JM Barrie had the forethought to hand over copyright to his magnum opus, Peter Pan, to afar worthier cause. Each time the story is retold, Great Ormond Street Hospital reaps the cash - and it’s been a busy year for them. The boy who never grew up actually reached his 100th birthday in December, spawning a new interest in the magical tale. From the Johnny Depp vehicle, Finding Neverland, to sales of Barrie memorabilia, Pan has never been more in vogue. Which is one of the reasons Northern Ballet Theatre recently enjoyed its most successful Christmas season ever. Choreographed by the company’s artistic director, David Nixon, Peter Pan the ballet captures the very essence of Barrie’s original story - appealing to the child inside, as well as beside, the adults in the audience. Keen to open up ballet to the uninitiated,
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Nixon thought the heavy male presence in Pan would attract potential newcomers to the genre. ‘A lot of the traditional Christmas ballets are great for little ballerinas and their mothers and grandmothers,’ says Nixon. ‘But we wanted to bring the boys and men in too, and make it something for the whole family. Plus we have all these young male dancers in the company, so it seemed the right piece for everybody.‘
Nixon has certainly gone for the ‘something for everyone’ recipe: dramatic fight scenes, magical aerial work, tear-jerking nostalgia and a mischievous dog worthy of his own spin-off show. He has also put his faith in the god of technical wizardry, with an ambitious revolving set which transforms from bedroom to pirate ship. And the gamut of emotions experienced in the tale is beautifully mirrored by Oscar-winning composer, Stephen Warbeck (Shakespeare in Love).
With the show about to open in Edinburgh as part of a UK tour, Nixon hopes his audience will be as young at heart as Peter himself: ‘If somebody is looking for an adult show, they’re not going to be happy. And if they‘re just looking for something that’s very much a kids’ piece, well it’s not that either - it’s somewhere in the middle.’ (Kelly Apter)
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Setting hrrr‘self up next to a big gun like Stephen Petrortta can't have been nag, for Alan Grerg. But the X Factur's artrstrr: director carries remarkably unscathed. For the first time rn the dance company"; 1 Greg has allowet another choreographer onto the hrll, forming an evening of We diverse but con‘plerrerttar; rakes. Petrcnro's Lare/gne rs a punishing rollcrccaster of a prece. .vnrch scatters the (farmers in ever; direction. AF, the electronic sabre Durlds rr‘orvtentur“. so does the mmerrtent. .vrth Petronm DLlSllng Grerg's hot pant-czar; dancers to the limit. One susrjects that rrr the hands of the Ne Yorker's sun contrary. Larergne Clrrn’)‘; to /et another ie/eu but Grerg has encugh talent at hts disposal to pull lt off. Uncanny rs a far 'r‘cre amiable affair. Punctuated .vrt’: humour and a plethor ftlmrc references. Gretg's niece lUmDS butterflytrke froth one scene to the next. n‘akrng astute use of Ursula Bombsheil's xersatrie costumes. An affectionate tribute 1:; Kate BQSiVS ‘Rbrtqlng UK) That Hlll‘, TGCOVJEO ij,’ a (38390” Wm (fin/38% laughs. .vhtle a depiction of Greek sirens uses shade/r
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