Reviewed by Judy Richter
San Francisco's iconic Ferry
Building has a new neighbor, a white conical tent called the Threesixty
Theatre. Inside
this temporary space, children and adults are transported into a blend of an
old story, JM Barrie's "Peter Pan," and the latest in gee-whiz technology. Presented
in the round, this production comes straight from London for its first U.S.
appearance. Once the lights go down, the audience is transported into the
Darling household's nursery in London some 100 or so years ago.
As
the story progresses, however, the three Darling children, led by Peter Pan (Nate
Fallows), fly
out of their nursery and into the sky over London as a 360-degree bird's eye
view of the city and surrounding countryside emerges, thanks to the wonders of
computer-generated imagery. It's truly a wondrous experience.
Those
who are familiar with the story won't find any new twists, but Tanya Ronder's adaptation and Ben
Harrison's
direction give it a darker tone than seen in the popular musical theater
version. The fairy Tinker Bell (Itxaso Moreno), for example, is a grungy
presence with her tattered pink tutu, punkish hairdo and edgy attitude. Fallows
makes a believable though somewhat arrogant Peter despite being a little old
for the role. The same goes for all of the other actors who play the Darling
children -- Abby Ford as Wendy, David Poynor as Michael and Arthur Wilson as John -- and the Lost Boys.
Jonathan
Hyde does double
duty as the children's fussbudget father and the villainous Captain Hook, who
could be more menacing. Perhaps the best cast actor is Shannon Warrick as a maternal Mrs. Darling, along
with a short stint as the Neverbird. Antony Strachan also does well as Hook's bemused
sidekick, Smee. Nana, the Darling family dog, is a life-size puppet manipulated
by Mohsen Nouri,
who also is part of the crocodile, one of the more clever bits of stagecraft in
the production.
Although
the play is advertised as suitable for all ages, it runs a bit long -- two
hours and 20 minutes, including intermission -- for the younger set. As for the
adults, it's primarily a technological wonder, for the drama itself seems a bit
flat with no strong chemistry among the characters.
The
sets, costumes and 3D production design are by William Dudley, who uses a series of traps and
other devices to facilitate fast set changes. The sound is by Gregory Clarke
with lighting by
Mark Henderson.
The music (most of it recorded) was composed and conducted by Benjamin
Wallfisch, but
there is some live music, most of it sung and played by the pirates. The
choreography is by Fleur Darkin, while the puppetry direction is by Sue
Buckmaster.
Although
the technology transports the audience to another world, the tent structure
brings in occasional traffic noise from the Embarcadero. On the other hand, the
chiming of the Ferry Building clock fits in well.
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