Notes From Row H

Theatre Review – The Barbican Theatre

Written by Ella Hickson (Oedipus and ANNA), but based on the book by J.M Barrie, the RSC’s production of Wendy & Peter Pan is playing at the Barbican Theatre from 21^st October until 22^nd Nov 2025.

Following the traditional Peter Pan story, with a few tweaks that make the storyline feel a tad more modern – namely Wendy and her brothers need to go to Neverland to search for their lost brother, ‘Tom’. The audience sees the story unfold through Wendy’s eyes, so it has a feminist twist which is refreshing, and is what the entire play seems to rest on. This show is full of the magic, sword fights, and flying which is expected from a Peter Pan story. 

The Shadows show an incredible physicality and help to add humour in a very playful way. Scott Karim (Smee) brings a campness to the story that is very fun, and Ami Tredrea (Tiger-Lily) has a subtle charm too. Hannah Saxby (Wendy) and Daniel Krikler (Peter Pan) have a chemistry that treads the line between whimsical and painful – but sometimes does fall foul to the traditional themes of Mother and Father.

This show is visually stunning: the set and costume design by Colin Richmond captures the fantastical element of the play perfectly and are the centrepieces of this play, with special mention going to the full-size pirate ship, which is breathtaking. These are aided by the striking lighting and projections by Oliver Fenwick. 

That being said, there were several times where the scenes seemed to drag, and the pacing seemed a bit off despite the high energy action sequences and run time being longer. I am unsure who this play is aimed at too, because the tone seems to shift between serious themes (child loss), and childlike (almost pantomimic) humour.  

The use of anachronistic words such as ‘rizz’ and ‘sliding into his DMs’ pulled me out of the world of Neverland, and at times, made this magical story feel like a pantomime. 

Also, Wendy’s desire to team up with Tink and Tiger Lily, clearly meant to be a Girl-Power moment, felt tacked on and a bit flat after all three had been jealous enemies throughout, and Wendy had been in a perpetual state of stress and mental anguish for the entire show. 

There are a lot of components of this show that I can get behind: the acting and physicality, the set and lighting, and the obvious magical feel of the story. However, there are issues that outweigh these aspects – namely the pacing, unclear aims, anachronisms, and seemingly last-minute character changes which are only made in order to fit the character into the narrative.

Written by Helena Featherstone