Wendy & Peter Pan – The Barbican Theatre

Last Updated on October 30, 2025

Wendy goes on an adventure in this playful and beautifully produced retelling.

3.5 out of 5.0 stars

Ella Hickson’s adaptation of JM Barrie’s classic “Peter Pan”, Wendy & Peter Pan, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and directed by Jonathan Munby, imagines the story with a focus on Wendy. It is a feminist retelling done in simplistic, family-friendly comedic broad strokes and soundbites with stonkingly good production values, taking full advantage of the expansive Barbican theatre stage and its excellent acoustics.

Wendy & Peter Pan opens in a family townhouse in London in 1910, complete with wooden-beamed high ceilings, beds with brass knobs, a doll’s house the size of a small child and colourful patchwork quilts. Wendy Darling and her three brothers, in nightwear and dressing gowns, play a raucous game of make-believe while their proud parents look on. It is cold outside, which we know from the excellent projection onto the set of a wintry night sky, but inside is a heartwarming scene of family happiness. Soon, though, tragedy strikes: the youngest brother, Tom, dies, and we see him being carried away by Peter Pan and his group of Shadows (whose movement as a group is one of the most striking, nuanced and beautifully haunting aspects of the show – kudos to choreographer Lucy Hind).

And thus, Wendy’s adventure begins: she sets off, with her two other brothers, to search for her ‘lost boy’. Peter Pan flies the Darling children to Neverland, where they meet the Lost Boys and Tink. The latter is the antithesis of the dainty, male-appeasing, doll-like Tinkerbell of the original story and book. This fairy, played by Charlotte Mills, is reminiscent of the singer Adele with her bright red hair, a gruff Cockney accent, and a commanding presence. Tink and Wendy don’t get on at first, and Tink feels usurped, no longer the sole female presence in the Hideout. Meanwhile, Peter Pan is alternately battling with, and hiding from his nemesis, Captain Hook.

As Wendy navigates Neverland, she becomes a mother figure to the Lost Boys, playing home with Peter Pan as ‘father’, while also striving to define her own identity beyond traditional roles and to become brave. In a moment of ‘girl power’ (that phrase wasn’t used, but it might as well have been), Wendy allies with Tink and erstwhile lone wolf Tiger Lily, a female pirate, to face off against Captain Hook and his pirates, all while grappling with themes of memory, loss, and growing up.

Even though it is Wendy’s story, I was hoping for more from Peter Pan. The portrayal, as written, directed and acted (Daniel Krikler), felt overly two-dimensional and fell somewhat flat for me, ironically, since Pan was physically the most three-dimensional of the entire cast. His movement work was very impressive as he flew with grace, fought with bravado and played with abandon.

Hannah Saxby’s Wendy is fresh-faced and determined with arguably just the right amount of bossiness. She is a safe hand steering us through the story. But the other female characters could have been more developed. Both the consistently excellent Lolita Chakrabarti as Mrs Darling, and the also excellent Ami Tredrea as the intriguing Tiger Lily, were woefully underused. 

But it’s the performances by the off-stage creatives that are arguably the most impressive in Wendy & Peter Pan. The lighting, sound design, movement and music collectively steal the show, combining to create an atmosphere of wide-eyed awe tinged with loss… and occasionally punctuated by a loud bang. 

Toby Stephens as both Mr Darling and Captain Hook is the standout performance, especially when paired as the latter with his smitten Smee (a great turn by Scott Karim). Every line Stephens delivers lands beautifully, even if his swordplay against Peter Pan deliberately doesn’t. As Mr Darling, he is dashing and child-like in his enthusiasm, as Captain Hook, dressed all in black with long hair and a poshly camp drawl like an ageing British 80’s rock star, he brings an edge of melancholy and bitterness as he envies Peter Pan’s youth.

Age is a thematic focus of not just the story but also of the whole production itself, as it sets out to please a crowd that ranges from Generation Alpha to Boomers and beyond. Wendy & Peter Pan markets itself as being for ages 7+, although I saw many audience members who were younger than that. With this in mind, Wendy & Peter Pan is deliberately panto-esque at times. There is a lot of broad comedy, both physically and verbally, which was mostly endearing but occasionally cringeworthy. There are several jokes about bottoms. There is a pirate ship that looks like it has been stolen from the Disneyland ride Pirates of the Caribbean, with its accompanying theatrical music (this is a good thing, trust). Captain Hook drops in Gen Z lingo with a knowing wink to the audience. There’s even a moment of audience participation that is tastefully polite as these things go (on-brand for the Barbican).  There are a lot of silly dances, some impressive sword fights, and much flying. These set pieces often slowed down the narrative, but they sure were pretty to watch. 

That said, my favourite moments in Wendy & Peter Pan were the quieter, more emotionally-focused and sophisticated scenes: a mournful monologue by Captain Hook about aging that was fittingly quasi-Shakespearean;  a moving, balletic dance number in which the Shadows – and Harrison Claxton in particular – showcased their elegance, strength and beautiful technique in front of a background of twinkling stars; and a poignant conversation between Wendy and Peter Pan about remembering versus forgetting. 

Wendy & Peter Pan doesn’t have the strongest storyline, but it is a jolly good ride, and a comfortable one at that, thanks to the Barbican’s excellent seats. It’s an entertaining, incredibly well-produced spectacle that reminds you that, however old you are, playfulness is not just for children. 

Wendy & Peter Pan by the Royal Shakespeare Company runs at The Barbican Theatre from Tue 21 October until Sat 22 November 2025, and you can buy tickets here

The Barbican Theatre
Silk Street
London, EC2Y 8DS

Looking for something different? We also recommend Matilda the Musical, currently showing at the Cambridge Theatre