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Peter Pan Resource Pack

Peter Pan – Resource Pack

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James Matthew Barrie

Sir J.M. Barrie was born on the 9th of May, 1860 in Kirriemuir, Scotland. His

father, David Barrie was a successful weaver. Barrie had three brothers

and six sisters. His brother, also called David, died in an ice-skating

accident two days before his 14th birthday, and James spent much of

his childhood trying to fill the void that his brother’s death had left in

the family, even wearing his clothes and adopting his mannerisms.

His mother’s profound sadness affected him deeply.

As a young boy, he was eager to entertain, organising plays and

acting them with his friends. As a young man, James attended

Edinburgh University, and by 1882 he had earned his degree of

Master of Arts. Soon after this, he secured a job with The Nottingham

Journal, and then moved to London in 1885. In London, and

throughout his adult life, Barrie was a friend and regular

correspondent to many of the greatest minds in literature at the time,

including Arthur Conan Doyle, PG. Wodehouse, Jerome K. Jerome and

Robert Louis Stevenson to name but a few. Though he is most famous for

Peter Pan, Barrie mainly wrote for the stage.

In 1894, Barrie married the actress Mary Ansell, although their marriage produced no children.

His marriage was dissolved three years later, however when his wife had an affair. This was

around the same time that Barrie first became associated with the Llewelyn Davies family.

Sylvia Llewelyn Davies was mother to George, John (Jack), Peter, Michael and Nicolas (Nico).

Sadly, Sylvia, a widow, died 4 months after meeting Barrie, who then became the boys’ guardian.

It was through the children that he was able to relive his childhood, and to whom he dedicated

the stories of Peter Pan.

Barrie was made a Baronet in 1913 and was awarded an Order of Merit in 1922. At the age of

77, he died of pneumonia and is buried in his hometown of Kirriemuir. He left the copyright of

Peter Pan to the Great Ormond Street Hospital, so that hospital would benefit every time that

the play was performed. Since the copyright expired, Great Ormond Street Hospital is generally

considered the moral owner of the stories, and in 2006 commissioned the only authorised

sequel to Peter Pan: Peter Pan in Scarlet, written by Geraldine McCaughrean.

“To die would be an awfully big adventure.”


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Characters

Peter Pan The original Lost Boy who ran away from his mother, not wanting to grow up. Adventurous and the confident leader of the Lost Boys.

Mr Darling Married to Mrs. Darling, the Father to the Darling children; Wendy, Michael & John, and a bank clerk. Occasionally loses his temper with the children.

Mrs Darling Kind, beautiful and understanding mother to the Darling children, wife to Mr. Darling.

Wendy Eldest of the Darling children and an adventurous young girl who loves to dream and tell stories. She flies to Neverland with Peter to be mother to The Lost Boys.

John The middle child of the Darlings and, despite his age, often speaks in a highly sophisticated and mature manner.

Michael The youngest of the Darling children.

Nana The Darling family’s canine nurse who is very protective of the Darling children.

Captain Hook An intelligent, manipulative and cunning pirate who is Peter Pan’s arch-enemy. He is determined to get revenge on Peter who cut off his hand and fed it to the crocodile.

Smee The loyal trusted right-hand man to Captain Hook.

Gentleman Starkey The First Mate on the Jolly Roger.

Jukes Pirate on board the Jolly Roger.

Cecco A pirate of Italian descent.

Chief Big Panther Chief of the Picaninny Tribe.

Tiger Lily Princess of the Picaninny tribe, a tribe that lives in Neverland.

Crocodile Besides Peter, the crocodile is Hook’s only other nemesis. It ate Hook’s missing hand when Peter cut it from him in battle, and longs for the rest of him.

These characters are performed by Community Chorus members, split into three teams of 12:

Tootles Misses out on big adventures, good natured and gets on with everyone. Takes life in his stride.

Slightly Brainy, genius but boastful. Has memories of his life before being a Lost Boy.

Curly Troublemaker, mischievous and disorganised. He gets the blame for everything.

Nibs Happy, content, cheerful and fun. He enjoys life and doesn’t worry.

Twin 1, Twin 2 A unit of two who think together and do things together.

Liza The maid at the Darling house.

Neverbird

Jane Daughter of Wendy Darling.

Indians The natives of Neverland.

Mermaids Half human and half fish; they live in the sea but are often seen in the Mermaids’ Lagoon.

Directors

Ian Forrest Ian was appointed Artistic Director of Theatre by the Lake in 1998 and has directed over 50 productions here. As a freelance director he worked in repertory theatre in Cheltenham, Chester, Harrogate, Birmingham, Derby, Oldham, Bolton, Exeter and Colchester. He directed the 1992 York Cycle of Mystery Plays and the John Wells/Carl Davis musical version of Alice in Wonderland at the Lyric, Hammersmith. Ian was Theatre Director at the Dukes, Lancaster from 1988-90, where shows included Salonika, The Price, Othello, ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore, The Play of Jennet and nine outdoor productions in Lancaster’s Williamson Park.

Mary Papadima Mary graduated from the Philosophy Department of the University of Athens with a BSc in Theatre Studies and from the National Conservatoire of Greece with a Diploma in Modern Greek Singing and a Diploma in Harmony. In 2008 she graduated from Birkbeck, University of London with a Master in Fine Arts in Theatre Directing. In Athens she worked as an actress and Assistant Director, performed as a singer and freelanced as a coach for actors and singers. For Theatre by the Lake (her ‘spiritual home’) Mary has directed: Jordan, Blackbird, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, A Doll’s House , An Inspector Calls and Dancing at Lughnasa. In her post as Resident Director (2009–2011) she directed the Next

Stage Company on Lysistrata and Spring Awakening. She was also Assistant Director on eleven shows, enjoying the variety of repertory and working closely with her mentor Ian Forrest. In 2010 she assisted Alan Ayckbourn on My Wonderful Day. Mary’s work as a freelance theatre director included delivering workshops and directing shows for universities and drama schools. Most recently she directed Thebans for the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. In her new role as Associate Director, Mary directs Dracula and Old Times for this Summer Season.

Set & Costume Designer

Martin Johns Having trained at Wimbledon School of Art and the Motley Theatre Design Course, Martin started his career at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry and became Head of Design for the Tyneside Theatre Company, York Theatre Royal and Leicester Haymarket Theatre. During the latter period he designed the set for the West End production of Me and My Girl at the Adelphi and subsequently Berlin, Broadway, Japan, Australia, South Africa and the British and American tours. Other West End shows include Master Class (Old Vic and Wyndham’s); Passion Play (Wyndham’s); West Side Story (Her Majesty’s); The Hired Man (Astoria); The Entertainer (Shaftesbury); Brigadoon (Victoria Palace); A Piece of My Mind

(Apollo); The Secret Lives of Cartoons (Aldwych); Rolls Hyphen Royce (Shaftesbury); Let the Good Stones Roll (Ambassadors Theatre); Mack and Mabel (Piccadilly Theatre) and the set for The Romans in Britain (National Theatre). Martin has been Resident Designer since the theatre’s opening.


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The Performers Matthew Coulton

John Darling - “My most Christmas-like moment to date was during a canoeing expedition to the lakes of Sweden. One evening, a wild reindeer strolled into our camp and joined us at the fireside, standing next us with a look that conveyed ‘Hello there, how splendid to meet you.’ I’m thrilled to make my post-graduation debut in Peter Pan, here in the beautiful surroundings of Theatre by the Lake!” Matthew has recently graduated from the BA (Hons.) Acting: Collaborative and Devised Theatre course at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. His final training role was Wong in The Good Person of Setzuan, directed by Nancy Meckler. As a member of the National Youth Theatre, Matthew has

performed in East to East (Beijing Olympics Cultural Olympiad) and Fastburn (with Kneehigh Theatre), amongst other projects. His work over the last year has included The Mess (Baron’s Court Theatre), for which he was also movement director; development work with Blind Summit and Scarlet Theatre and devising Too Far Right for the Camden Fringe Festival.

Mark Huckett Smee - Mark began acting professionally in 2000 and – to no-one’s greater surprise than his own – is still being allowed to do so. He recently went on a nostalgia trip with friends to the University of Kent to mark the 20th anniversary of starting their studies there. He left profoundly depressed to discover that a ‘Born in the 1990s’ theme night could actually be a thing. His head has a 2 foot circumference and he can turn his right foot to face backwards. The latter is a feature he has only managed to utilise once as a legitimate character choice on stage, despite (to the fury of directors everywhere) attempting to showcase it in every role he plays. Mark lives in London where, having relocated to be a part of Peter Pan, he leaves behind a games console and 24-hour

opening. He is very happy and relieved to have done so. Mark is hoping to break his habit of writing about himself in the third person.

Luke Jerdy

Peter Pan - Luke graduated from Manchester School of Theatre in 2011, where he won the Laurence Olivier and Carleton Hobbs Bursary awards. He immediately landed the role of Albert in War Horse at the New London Theatre in the West End. He has worked at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester (1984 and Single Sex) and recently played the part of Sebastian in Twelfth Night, the inaugural production at the New Everyman Theatre in Liverpool. He has just wrapped on filming for Chosen, a WWII thriller starring Harvey Keitel which will be released next year. He is very much looking forward to spending Christmas in Keswick

Harry Livingstone

Gentleman Starkey-Training: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Theatre: As You Like It (Southwark Playhouse); The Glass Menagerie (New Vic, Stoke/Oldham Coliseum); The Dolphin Crossing (Tobacco Factory); The Importance of Being Earnest (London Classic Theatre) ; Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, Richard III, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, The Tempest, King Lear, The Comedy of Errors (Pendley Shakespeare Festival). Radio: An American Rose, Waiting for the Boatman, The Cruel Sea, The People’s Passion, The Grudge, Martin Beck Series, The Archers, Left Luggage, Digging for Victory, Ulysses, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, Zola, Marathon Tales, Bombs for Aunt Daisy, Author of

Himself (all for BBC Radio 3 and 4).


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Peter Macqueen Mr Darling / Captain Hook- Peter is delighted to be spending his Christmas at Theatre by the Lake. Last Christmas saw him appear as Admiral Rankling in The Schoolmistress at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, where he disported himself in Victorian combination underwear and boxing gloves. Much in line with his previous grumpy seasonal characters – Scrooge (nightgown), Fagin (dressing gown) and Badger (moleskin plus-fours) – Captain Hook will not be ‘ho-ho-hoing’ his way around Neverland or raising a festive cap to the crocodile. His choice of underwear will remain a secret. Since leaving the Bristol Old Vic last century, Peter has worked in TV, film, radio and theatre all around this country and abroad. His work at TBTL started in 2007

and Peter Pan will be his 16th production here. In 2013 he appeared as the Inspector in An Inspector Calls, Sgt. Towers in See How They Run! and Mr Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer. In 2014 Peter played Sorin in The Seagull – the last ever production from the Library Theatre, Manchester. He has also been touring with his one-man show Old Herbaceous, which will hit the road again in spring 2015. Until then, he would like to wish you all a merry last walk along Johnny Plank!

Frances Marshall Mrs Darling / Tiger Lily / Pirate - Frances trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and has a degree in Drama from the University of Hull. Frances is, as ever, delighted to be back at Theatre by the Lake, where she has previously appeared as Titty in Swallows & Amazons, Margaret in Rogue Herries and Amaryllis in The Maid of Buttermere. Other theatre credits include: Duchess of Guise in The Massacre at Paris (Rose Theatre); Patch in The Busy Body (Southwark Playhouse); Phyllis in The Railway Children (York Theatre Royal/ National Railway Museum); Diane in Private Resistance (Eastern Angles); The Merry Wives of Windsor (Stafford Festival Shakespeare); Our New Man, How Stout You’re Getting! (Canal Café Theatre); Coal Not Dole (tour). Roles for Shakespeare’s Globe Read Not Dead project include: Kate in The Taming of the

Shrew; and Lady Strangelove in The Court Beggar. As a director, she recently directed Women Pleased and The Knight of the Burning Pestle for the same project. Film/TV credits include: Stephen Poliakoff’s Capturing Mary (BBC 2) and Mr Gibson (Project 7 – Edinburgh Cinefringe Audience Choice Award 2010).

Isabella Marshall Wendy Darling- Trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Delighted to be back at Theatre by the Lake this Christmas! Previously for TBTL: Dancing at Lughnasa, Vincent in Brixton, An Inspector Calls and She Stoops to Conquer. Other credits include: Flowers of the Field (White Bear Theatre, Kennington); A Merry Little Christmas (The Junction, Cambridge); The Sun Dragon (Lyric Hammersmith/Spring tour 2010); The Real George Orwell – Loving (BBC Radio Wales); Piano From a 4th Storey Window (Idle Films).


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Anthony Pinnick Nana / Jukes - Anthony trained at Drama Studio London. Theatre credits include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Courtyard Theatre); Up from Paradise (London première – New Wimbledon Studio); The Little Mermaid (Riverside Studios); Romeo and Juliet (UK & Europe tour); The London Cuckolds (Pleasance, Islington); La Bohème (King’s Head/Charing Cross Theatre); The Pink Panther (Italy tour); Richard III (UK tour). Film includes: The Honourable Rebel (THR the Film); The Lost Chapter (Michelle Deignan); Landscaping (Joel Nazar); Love Interest, The Workshop (Iron Boot Films); Rose (Imperial Mace Enterprise). When not acting, Anthony eats shortbread, irons, plays and teaches guitar and sometimes tries to do some writing. He had his first short play, Female

Company, produced as part of the 20:20 Vision New Writing Festival in Bath this summer and earlier this year he starred in a self-penned short comedy film, Love Interest. Rather conveniently, he is currently working on a screenplay about a group of philosophically-minded bank robbers who make their getaway to... the Lake District.

Meilir Rhys Williams

Michael Darling - Meilir trained at Central School of Speech and Drama. He is delighted to be returning to Theatre by the Lake for the Christmas season. He also believes in fairies! Theatre includes: The Gathering (National Theatre Wales); Penblwydd Poenus Pete (Theatr Iolo); Dyma Fi (Theatr Harlech); A Quirky Christmas (Mess up the Mess); Sherman Swingers, Peter Pan (Sherman Cymru); Y Storm/The Tempest, Spring Awakening (Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru); The History Boys (Theatre by the Lake, Keswick); Acting 101 (Jermyn Street Theatre); Over Gardens Out (Good Night Out Presents); The Call of the Wild (Blind Summit). Television includes: Grandpa in My Pocket

(CBBC); Gwefreiddiol (S4C/Rondo Media); Zanzibar (S4C/Rondo Media) and Noson Lawen (S4C/Cwmni Da). Nadolig Llawen i chi gyd (that’s ‘Merry Christmas everyone’ in Welsh)!

Gary Stoner

Cecco / Crocodile / Chief Big Panther - Wylie’s Arden School of Theatre is where I honed my trade, got prepped, became adept, then stepped out onto the world stage. I’ve done my fair share of theatre, my fair share of TV, been involved in one or two films – acting invigorates me. Oh to mingle amidst these majestic mountains and myriad lakes, to replenish my vigour with each breath I take. As I embark upon this exhilarating journey with Theatre by the Lake, it’s a privilege to rehearse, a joy to create – a chance for exploration and discovery with every step that I take. So friends of the theatre and all those who partake, let us one and all gather and collectively collaborate. To bring a wondrously magical, utterly fantastical, entrancing, enchanting, exciting and enticing slice of Neverland to our Theatre by the Lake.


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The Creative Team Musical Director & Composer

Richard Atkinson - Richard is a freelance Composer, Musical Director and Arranger. Previous productions at Theatre by the Lake include: She Stoops to Conquer, Rogue Herries, Great Expectations, Roma and the Flannelettes, A Doll’s House, The Blue Room, Keep Smiling Through, Tom’s Midnight Garden, Northanger Abbey, The Glass Menagerie, Summer Lightning, A Chorus of Disapproval, The Maid of Buttermere, A Christmas Carol, For All Time, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and

The Wizard of Oz. Work as a Composer includes: Cox & Box – Mrs Bouncer’s Legacy (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough); Strange Voyages (a youth opera based on Gulliver’s Travels, with a book and lyrics by Chris Monks); As You Like It (New Vic Theatre) and A Little Local Difficulty (Oldham Coliseum). Other theatre work includes: Assistant Musical Director for Scrooge (London Palladium) and Whistle Down The Wind (Palace Theatre); Associate Conductor for Evita and Scrooge (national tours); Musical Director for Annie (national tour); Jack and the Beanstalk (Key Theatre, Peterborough); Geordie Sinatra (Live Theatre, Newcastle/Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough); Soul Man, Carmen, Marlene, The Snow Queen, The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough); Don Giovanni, Oliver!, Sweeney Todd, The Marriage of Figaro, By Jeeves, Ham!, Moll Flanders (New Vic Theatre); The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester); The Mikado (Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond); Blues in the Night (Oldham Coliseum); Aladdin (Salisbury Playhouse).

Lighting Designer Andrew J Lindsay Since graduating from the University of Central Lancashire in 2002, Andrew has worked as a Technician, Sound Designer, Lighting Designer and Video Designer on a wide range of technical productions and events both in house and on tour. Andrew is currently the resident Technical Manager at Theatre by the Lake, providing technical support for the year-round programme of events including theatre, music, film and community outreach projects. Andrew has designed lighting for many productions

throughout Cumbria and the UK, including The Boyfriend, The Dumb Waiter, Dido and Aeneas, Epsom Downs, Into the Woods, The Mystery Plays, Be My Baby, Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci, Closer, Hair! – The Musical, Chris Dugdale: An Evening of Magic & Mindreading, Jack and the Beanstalk, Peter Pan, Dick Whittington, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. Other design projects include a selection of lighting designs for live music and festivals as well as Days of Wine and Roses, Jordan, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, The Gondoliers, Cabaret, Anything Goes, Kiss Me Kate, Singing in the Rain, In Extremis, Stones in his Pockets, A View from the Bridge, The History Boys, Rogue Herries and Swallows & Amazons. In his recent projects, Andrew has been working to combine new visual techniques and multimedia technologies to produce the lighting and video design for The Firework-Maker’s Daughter and Dancing at Lughnasa, as well as video design for Great Expectations, The Shape of Things and Dracula at Theatre by the Lake. He looks forward to designing the lighting (and video) for Peter Pan.

Sound Designer

Maura Guthrie Maura joined the technical team at Theatre by the Lake in 2008 after graduating from East 15 Acting School. She has been involved in many home-produced productions under different roles including Lighting and Sound Designer. Past lighting credits include: A Touch of Magic, Ghost Stories, Lysistrata and Spring Awakening. More recently Maura has branched out into sound design and her past sound credits include: Dancing at Lughnasa, Not About Heroes (which also toured Cumbria),

Swallows & Amazons, She Stoops to Conquer, Rogue Herries, Old Herbaceous, Dry Rot, The History Boys, Knives in Hens, Hay Fever, Dumb Show, What the Butler Saw and Bus Stop. She has also designed sound for Keswick Theatre Club’s productions of: Private Fears in Public Places, The Real Inspector Hound, A Separate Peace and Feelgood. This summer sees Maura creating the sound design for The Comedy of Errors in the Main House and The Winterling and Seeing the Lights in the Studio.


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Fight Director

Peter Macqueen Peter works as both an actor and fight director and is a regular at Theatre by the Lake. Peter was the fight director for See How They Run! and An Inspector Calls in the Summer Season last year, as well as a number of other shows at the theatre. Peter is on the Equity Register of Fight Directors and, as one of the original members of the British Fight Directors Society, he has directed fights in many theatres all over the country; ranging from the wildwood stoat mayhem of The Wind in the Willows, through a handful of Macbeth/MacDuff encounters, to the murderous onslaught of

Deathtrap! He coached a half-blind Bernard Bresslaw in brandishing a broadsword in Falstaff (Arts Theatre);a prop-phobic Susannah York to wield a knife in Lyric for a Tango (West End) and a meticulous David Threlfall as Hamlet (Oxford Playhouse) before he became shameless.

Associate Casting Director

Sophie Curtis Sophie trained in Technical Theatre at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and subsequently worked in stage management, set design, marketing, general management and production. She is now based in London and works freelance on theatre projects across the country. Prior to her freelance work, Sophie spent seven years as Artistic Coordinator; casting and programming for Theatre by the Lake. Sophie has worked with the creative team at TBTL to cast more than 70 productions, including: Not About Heroes, Dancing at Lughnasa, The Wind in the Willows, The

History Boys, A View From the Bridge and many others! In addition to her work as Associate Casting Director for Theatre by the Lake, Sophie is an associate at Esta Charkham Associates taking an active role in nurturing and developing careers of both young and established actors.


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Activities

Writing Exercises

‘In-role’ writing activity: Write a letter as Mr. or Mrs. Darling

Your children are missing. There are empty beds and a quiet nursery. The house seems so still without them, and Nana has no-one to take care of.

As Mr or Mrs Darling, write a letter to a friend or relative telling them what has happened and how you are feeling. Will your children ever return? Are you ever going to close the window?

Alternative Ending/ What happens next?

At the end of the play Wendy has grown up and her daughter, Jane, flies off to Neverland with Peter Pan. Can you . . .

a) Write an alternative ending to the play. What would you like to happen?

OR

b) Write about what happens next:

a. Does Jane still grow up?

b. Do Jane and Peter ever leave Neverland?

c. Does Wendy continue to believe in Neverland?

d. Does Wendy have any other children? What happens to them?

e. What about Michael and John? Do they have their own children who fly to Neverland?

Origin Story

Use your imagination to write a story about what Neverland was like before Wendy, John and Michael arrived. Think of trying to answer the following:

1. Why are Peter Pan and the Lost Boys fighting with the pirates?

2. How did the Pirates come to Neverland?

3. Did Neverland always look like it does now?

4. You could even write about the first time Peter came to Neverland.

Tip: Remember that the events of the play have not happened yet - think carefully about what characters have said about things that have happened in the past.


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Language Exercises

Parrot the Pirate Tongue Twister Game

After a bottle of Pirate’s Rum, it can be hard to speak.

Sometimes directors tend to present tongue twisters to the company in order to allow them to practice speaking clearly. Try to say these tricky tongue twisters:

Picky people pick Peter Pan’s pickled pepper. They’re the perfect pickled peppers picky people pick.

One-one was a racehorse. Two-two was one too. When One-one won one race, Two-two won one too.

Pirate’s Private property

Frogfeet, flippers, swimfins

Susie Seaword’s fish sauce shop sells unsifted thistles for thistle sifters to sift.

Three grey geese in a green field grazing; grey were the geese and green was the grazing

Shut up the shutters and sit in the shop

Walk the Plank

For the following exercise you will need a piece of chalk. The game can be played inside or outside.

To play: Draw on the ground (chalk comes easily out of carpet, don’t worry) a plank with 10 spaces marked along it, with a ship at one end and some waves for the sea at the other end. Similar to Hangman, think of words or phrases related to Peter Pan (e.g. Fairy dust or crocodile).

One unfortunate victim (as volunteered or nominated) stands at the ship end of the plank, and the rest of the class are the lost boys. The remaining lost boys’ task is to correctly guess the letters of the word (like hangman, put spaces on the board and give class a clue).

Each time the lost boys guess a letter that is wrong, write the wrong letter on the board in the bank of bad letters, and whoever is on the plank has to take a step closer to the sea, and the crocodiles

If the lost boys can spell the right word before the unfortunate victim reaches the end of the plank, they will be pardoned and allowed to come back to the ship, then set free. Each time a lost boy is fed to the crocodile, another must take their place until everyone has had a turn. Remember to wipe the board clean in between turns.

Allow 3 minutes per word, or the tick-tock of the croc will creep up on you.


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Fairy Word Scrambles

We all know that Tinkerbell doesn’t speak like the rest of us do. Rearrange the words below to work out what Tink is saying.

Answers

yafri Fairy

trepe nap Peter Pan

nywde Wendy

tspreai Pirates

miramesd Mermaids

stud Dust

glyinf Flying

rilocdeco Crocodile

nitpaca koho Captain Hook

nigsw Wings

noisop Poison

thoudie Hideout

ritesos Stories

denverlan Neverland

elviebe Believe

krinet lelb Tinker Bell

eth tols yob’s The Lost Boy’s

Decode Tink’s message to the Lost Boys: “hoots het denwy drib”

“Shoot the Wendy bird”


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Creative Exercises

Mirroring/Shadow Exercise

In Peter Pan, Peter’s shadow can move separately from Peter. Try this with a friend.

Level 1: Decide who ‘Peter Pan’ is and who the shadow. First try facing each other and moving slowly, and shadow should copy Peter’s movements exactly. You should start really simply, just with arms and then as you get more confident, use more of your body

Level 2: When light is coming from more than one direction, there can be more than one shadow. Work in a group of up to six, standing in a triangular formation, but all facing the same direction. This way you don’t need to see the person leading because everybody will be following the same person. If you turn 90 degrees a new person will become the leader, like when a flock of birds change direction. If you get very advanced, you can even get your group to move around the space, rather than standing still.

Shadow Choreography

Peter Pan is chasing his shadow and wants it to return to him. The Shadow and Peter mirror each other while travelling but occasionally try to catch each other out.

Before participating in this exercise, make sure your students are warmed up and have attained some focus.

Task 1: Practice travelling with a partner keeping the same distance apart. Steps could include; skipping, galloping, leaps, jumps and turns possibly developing a combination. (5mins)

Task 2: In pairs, create your own sequence that includes a leap, jump, a turn and a movement on the floor (e.g crawling or rolling) and a balance. (10mins)

Task 3: Pay attention to detail ensuring each movement and expression is in unison as if one was Peter and the other his shadow. (10mins)

Tip: The ‘best’ pair is when an observer cannot tell who the Shadow is and who is Peter.

Shadow Puppets

Shadow puppetry, also known as shadow play, is a unique form of storytelling originating in China and India. Shadow puppets are figures that are placed between a light and a screen and moving them creates the illusion of moving images on the screen. Although shadow puppets can be highly creative and elaborate they can also be very simple yet effective. Students can make shadow puppets with little or no experiences and put on a shadow play with little expense and just a little time.

The aim of the following activity is to allow your students to be creative when making their own puppets and also allow them to test the hypothesis of how light travels and what happens when it meets a source. You can test transparent, translucent and opaque materials when creating the puppets.


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Task I:

For this activity you will need some resources:

- Construction material for your puppets e.g. cardboard (the more solid a material is the darker the shadow cast).

- A light source e.g. a lamp or a torch.

- A cardboard box (for your “stage”).

- Bamboo skewers or straws or balsa wood sticks or pencils

- Tape and/or glue.

- Cutting materials e.g. scissors.

- Thin tissue paper or a thin material or baking paper to be used for your “screen”.

To build your “stage”, begin by cutting the bottom out of the cardboard box, leaving a small (approximately 5cm) border around the edges. Fasten your “screen” using tape or glue so that it covers the hole you have just cut out of the cardboard box. Once the puppets have been made, you will hold your puppets in between the light source and the “screen” to project their images.

(see next page)

1) Cardboard Box 2) Cut out the bottom of the box

3) Attach the “Screen” to the box

4) Hold puppets between the

light source and the screen


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Design and draw your puppets. Using craft materials (for example, black cardboard) draw the

outlines of your puppet. The puppet can be as simple or as detailed as you like. Minor details

such as eyes can be tricky to cut out, but when they are these details will appear in the shadow.

When you are satisfied with the design of your puppets, use a pair of scissors to carefully cut

along the outlines.

Tip: You can be adventurous and use various types of scissors that have various blades on such as

zig-zag designs.

Attach the bamboo skewers (or straws etc.) to the back of your puppet using a piece of tape or

glue. If you are using glue, allow it to dry before using. Tip: For larger puppets, the puppet may

require more than one stick, particularly if it has moving parts (using split pins).

Task II:

Design and create some shadow puppets for the characters of Peter Pan. Take a scene from the

production and turn it into shadow theatre.

Tip: If you wish to advance and design more intricate designs but want colour, try adding some

lighting coloured filters (gels).

Task III:

If you have a dance class and wish to experiment with shadows using a light source and a

screen, ask your students to experiment with their bodies creating and casting various shadows

in a sequence to music. This can be done in pairs, small groups or large groups (as a class).

Task IV:

Hand shadow puppets activate a particular region of the brain called Broca’s area which is

linked to language production.

Using the table of puppets below, cast their shadows using your hands. When you have

mastered the puppet move on, be inventive and create your own hand shadow puppet.


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Hand Puppets

Bird:

Potentially one of the easiest hand shadow puppets to create.

To make the bird simply:

Turn your palms away from you, (or facing towards you) cross your hands over and lock your thumbs.

Stretch your palms open to make the birds wings.

Close your palms and open your palms to make the bird appear as if it were flying.

Dog:

To create a dog shadow puppet:

Take both your hands together with outstretched fingers.

Fold over your index fingers keeping your thumbs outstretched (for the ears).

Keep your middle fingers and ring fingers together but separate the little fingers (to create the mouth)

Tip: Move your little fingers up and down towards the middle and ring fingers to make the dogs mouth move.

Snail:

To make the snail shadow:

Take your right hand and bend your little finger, ring finger and thumb inwards towards your palm (leaving the middle finger and index finger outstretched) creating the snails body and tentacles.

Take your left hand and create a fist. Place the fist on the wrist of the right hand and this creates the snails shell.


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Elephant:

This hand puppet requires a unique arrangement of the middle fingers and ring fingers. To create the elephant:

Face your left hand’s palm towards the ground.

Point your ring and middle fingers towards the ground while keeping your little and index fingers straight (like a “rock on” gesture).

Bend your thumb and tuck it under the hand.

Place your right hand palm-down on top of your left hand and bend all of your fingers except your thumb to make the elephant’s eye.

Tip: Try moving the middle and ring fingers on your left hand to make the elephant’s trunk move.

Design Exercises

Create a Map of Neverland

Design a map of Neverland using information and locations from the play. In addition, you can add your own personal features to the map.

Create a Soundscape

As a native of Neverland you and your tribe live in a remote part of the island away from the pirate. In a small tribe or as a class create a soundscape of your surroundings. Think about what you could hear, what you could see, what you could be.

Pro tip: Don’t forget that you can use other things to make sounds, e.g. rubbing two sheets of paper together can sound like the sea; you could even try making your own tribal warrior cry.

Make your own pirate hat

You will need an A1 sized piece of paper per hat. Decorate your pirate hat so you look as fearsome as Captain Hook’s crew


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Logic Exercise

Smee the Peacekeeper

Smee is beginning to feel fed-up of following orders, trying to catch Peter Pan, being tormented by the Lost Boys and chasing the crocodile away from Hook.

He decides to call the N5 (Neverland 5) to meeting to try and resolve their issues. All those called to the meeting include the leader of each group and their 2nd in command:

- Peter Pan & Tinkerbell

- Wendy & John

- Hook & Jukes

- Tiger Lily & Big Little Panther

- Mermaid 1 & Mermaid 2

Discussion Tasks:

1. The meeting will be held in a neutral location in Neverland. One that is non-threatening to any party attending the meeting. Discuss and/or vote on the best location for Smee to hold the meeting (if you have designed a map of Neverland this would be useful to use).

2. Option 1: There are 6 seats around this round table at the chosen location. 1 seat for the peacekeeper (Smee) and 1 seat for each of the leaders. The 2nd in commands stand positioned behind their leader. You must discuss and choose who should sit across from/next to whom, to avoid any unnecessary conflict.

Option2: There are 11 seats around this round table at the chosen location. There are enough seats for all leaders, 2nd in commands and the peacekeeper. You must discuss and choose who should sit opposite/across from/next to whom, to avoid any unnecessary conflict.

3. Smee has called the meeting to order. As the N5 discuss the following;

The duties and responsibilities each leader & 2nd in command has.

The impact of conflict upon all those involved.

How this impact of conflict is affecting each other.

Things in common that will keep the peace for example: does anyone around the table have a common enemy?

Discuss how you could all potentially live in ‘harmony’.

How should the island’s resources be shared between groups?

Add your own agenda topics


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Themes in the play – Some philosophical questions

Leadership

Peter Pan is the Lost Boys’ leader; Captain Hook leads the Jolly Roger

Think about the questions below:

What is a leader?

Do you have to be bossy to be a leader?

Would you rather be a leader or a follower?

Should we always follow a leader’s instructions?

If a leader makes a mistake should they still be the leader?

Friendship

They say you can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends. Peter’s friends are the Tinkerbell, Tiger Lily and the Lost Boys and Wendy. Think about the questions below:

What is a friend?

Can you have a bad friend?

Can you be friends with someone you don’t like?

Are your family your friends?

Can you be friends with someone you’ve just met?

Do you have to know someone to be friends with them?

If you get angry with your friend are you still friends?

Should you ever stop being friends with somebody?


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Motherhood

In the play, Peter brings Wendy to Neverland to be a mother to the Lost Boys. While there, she thinks of her own mother and eventually returns home to her and her father. Think about the questions below:

What is a mother?

Are all mother’s the same?

Does a mother have to be related to you?

Should children always obey their mothers?

Do you have to be motherly to be a mother?

Childhood and Growing up

Peter Pan ran away to Neverland because he didn’t want to grow up and become a man, and The Lost Boy’s never experience growing up. Explore the following questions

What is childhood?

How do we know when we’ve grown up?

Who decides when we’ve grown up?

Can you be a grown-up and still be a child?

Should we always do what grown-ups tell us?

Should you always respect your elders?

Piracy

Captain Hook is the notorious pirate of the Jolly Roger with his crew of scallywags, sailing the seven seas seeking sweet revenge on Peter Pan. Discuss the following questions:

What is a pirate?

Is it possible to be a good pirate?

If you steal something from someone who won’t notice that it’s gone, is it still theft?

Can you steal something and be a good person?


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Danger

When people are talking about danger, they are talking about ‘fight or flight’ response- The way we react to something that could harm us. This can be if the danger is real or if the danger is perceived. Explore the following questions:

How do we know what danger is?

Who decides when something is dangerous or not?

Is danger always bad?

Is it possible to be in danger without knowing it?

Should you always save someone from danger?

Can there be acceptable danger?

Dreams v Reality

When we are dreaming, things feel very real and intense, even though when we wake up we might forget the dream very quickly; whereas in real life we can remember things for a very long time.

What is reality?

How do we know our perceptions are real?

Is it possible that life is just a dream? How do we know?

Is a story real?

Revenge

In Peter Pan, Hook wants revenge because Peter made the crocodile bite off his hand. There are all sorts of reasons why people seek revenge. Think about the questions below:

If someone does something bad to us, should we get them back?

Is it ok to feel good if bad things happen to someone who has upset or hurt us?

Is it ever ok to hurt someone?

Should you forgive and forget?

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