"PETER PAN."

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13740, 23 May 1910, Page 7

"PETER PAN."

After scoing J. M. Barrio's marvellously constructed fantasy "Pctor. Pan," produced on Saturday evening by Mr Williamson's Company, one no linger wonders at the wide popularity it has achieved. As a dramatic.work it stands alone, being unlike anything yet seen on the stage. Ordinarily, a play srpealing more particularly to children ■has little or no charm for adults Ibtv yond the pleasure at the keen on joy-, r.-ent it jsives to the little ones. But "Fetor Van" ixifsosses the singular charm of transforming the childrcnof larger growth who sec it into veritable i<t>vs and girls by reviving, with much strength, all the delights of their louthful years. It is a marvellously clever combination of the most fascinatinc fairy stories, the thrilling Indian romances, with Leather Stocking as tho hero, which used to a,ppeal so strongly to us in the days of our youth, and tho adventures of pirates, possessing so milch attraction to boys of all aces. Tlcso are deftly welded together by a. . master hand, with the result that .all thfr combination of characters eerving t>: impress the childish imagination so strongly in the different styles of books specially written for boys and girls, live , and move and have their being in "Peter Pan-, It is noticeable also how cleverly the author has, in the opening act* infused an air of modernity into the realm of fantasy, which is the principal foaturo of tho play. The phases of "Peter Pan," commencing with the uncanny appearance of Peter and his attendant sprite Tinker Bell, and running the gamut of the fanciful tune of lost boys, the. picturesque Indians, and tho truoulent pirates, aro charmingly and effectively worked out. The finale of Peter, in his house on the tree-tops, with, myriads of fairy farms cleaining like a shower of ''meteors, is .one of the most effective as it is decidedly the most charmingly unique stage spectacles ever seen here. The dialogue, though necessarily simple lis wonderfully clever, notably in . the scenes between Peter and Woody, they \- have assumed vicariously tlse responsibilities of father and notherhood. As a whole, "Peter Pan" is a play of most marvellous fascination, and, story-book like though the idea is. it is of absorbing interest throughout. . The charm of the play itself was greatly enhanced by the admirable interpretation of every character, from the principals downwards. Those tiicagod in tho production did not merejy play their respective parts—they were the embodiment of them. This particularly applied to Miss Lusetto .Parkos ns Peter. The character >s one requiring for its effective representation much artietie delicacy, and above all it calls most strongly for W:o • display of that rare quality in actoH. 1 the art which conceals art. In both I theso respeote Miss LLxette Parleys i amply .fulfilled tho 'requirements . Whilst infusing, as was right, a certain amount of elfishness into her chatacterisation of tho part, Miss Parkes also cleverly brought out tho strong point that Peter is still a boy. There was also added to this the necessary gracefulness to embody the oroation of Mr Barrie rightly, and Miss Parkes made Peter a most lovable character. Her scenes with Wendy were admirably done, and throughout the impersonation was n oh arming and highly artistic one. Equally successful was the Wendy Darling of Mies Dolores llovira. She was especially good in the scene in tho first act," whero Wendy . makee tho acquaintance of Peter, and later in the underground cave scene, in which she assumed ivhe cares and responsibilities of the mother of a largo family with a dignity; and solicitudo which was charmingly pourtrayed. The character is somewhat, overshadowed by- tho more brilliant and outstanding one of Peter, t>ufc still there aro many possibilities in it, all of which wore excellently ' taken advantage of by Miss Rovira. Mr Kingston has done nothing' better in his more eerious roles than Obis" impersonation of-the truculent ipeany ■ plain and twopenco coloured, pirate chief, Captain Hook. The part is one conceived in the wildest spirit of burlesque, and Mr Kingston entered most thoroughly into it. Hie- exaggerated bombast in tho ship scone, coupled- with hte intense terror of the crocodile, was splendidly ftiony. The boys and girls forming the corps of lost boys, together with John Napoleon Darling and Michael, were simply delightful. They were purely children, and one entirely forgot, in view cf their■ exquisite naturalness, that.they were acting, Tho intensely humorous truculence of Miss Kitty Mason ns Michael, when she slays her gigantic pirate opponent, was a most delightful piece of .acting. Miss Sydney had not much to do as Mrs Darling, but tho part; was admirably played. . Mr Chan. Smith's Nana was also' a remarkably clever bit of animal acting. The siaga pictures were magnificent, -particularly the double sot in tho'second act, and the last scene, tho latter being oh&rM again and attain. Tho orchestra,' bnder Mr\ Diedrichseii contributed in *io small degree to the great success Of the performance by their excellent;' playing of tho ' incidental music. "Peter Pan" will be repeated to-night-, and the. first matinee will be given on Thursday. . ' •