© Philharmonie/Ines Rebelo de Andrade
An operatic and distinctly playful take on J.M. Barrie's classic tale of the boy who never grows up enthralled a captivated crowd.
This year’s Familljefestival at Philharmonie embraced the theme of 'magic' – encouraging both children and parents alike to embrace their imagination and enjoy a wide and varied calendar of events over the weekend of 4 to 5 May. As part of the festival the main hall of the Philharmonie hosted an 'adventure opera' based on the characters and world of Peter Pan.
On the day there was a tangible energy of anticipation outside the main hall as children and parents gathered around a variety of tables laid out around the venue, each adorned with a range of craft materials designed to encourage the children (and their guardians) to engage in a spot of imagination of their own before proceedings began.
With seating allocated on a free basis, the hall quickly filled with all sections occupied by excited yet exceedingly well-behaved youngsters aged six years old and above. The stage was adorned with a large white curtain – hiding the orchestra behind – and a central table with two chairs, flanked by rows of stools.
With every seat taken, the lights dimmed and a notable silence quickly fell across the spectators as attention turned towards the stage as our first characters arrived to signal the beginning of the show.
Set in the imagined St. Valentinus-Stift school, Wendy (Georgina Fürstenberg) sat at the table with her mother and school cook (Juliana Zara) imploring her to concentrate on her homework instead of talking of the boy known as Peter. The stools which ran across the stage were occupied by young children undertaking [imagined] typing lessons in dutiful silence as mother and daughter worked away; the ghostly tick-tock of a clock floating through the air as a portent of the story yet to unfold. The uptight management of the school – Frau Mäzenin (Maria Fisilier) and Herr Schulleiter (Benjamin Pop) – arrived to fuss and bother our main characters as they tried work, with Wendy’s brother (William Wallace) also making a appearance.
Eventually, as Wendy was left alone, she began to read aloud about Peter Pan, with the previously dutiful children coming to gather around as she recanted her tale of the magical boy who never grew up. It was at this point projections began to appear on the giant white curtain - providing an additional element of storytelling and production value to the proceedings – giving us our first glimpses of the mystical Neverland as the orchestra provided both delicate and dynamic accompaniment.
And then, from under the curtain, the mischievous Peter (Peter Kirk) appeared to take us on our journey. Again, the usage of projection came to the fore as we were flown to Neverland. Then the unveiling began: the orchestra were revealed as the main curtain dropped to the stage floor; Wendy's mother was in fact Tinkerbell; and we were introduced to the Lost Boys [and Girls] who would help Peter and Wendy throughout their journey (and provide choral accompaniment to the score).
Ultimately, the greatest entrance of all was left to Captain Hook and his side-kick Smee who, despite their wonderful pirate garb and adornments, seemed to bear an uncanny resemblance to the stiff-lipped Schulleiter and Fisilier who ran St. Valentinus-Stift. Here, they gathered on a raised podium to the right of the musicians, making full use of the available space to shift the action around and keep everyone’s attention locked. The orchestral accompaniment which encapsulated everything from marimba to xylophone, clarinet to timpani, and strings to trumpets served to further enhance the full-voiced and energetic performance of each actor and drive the narrative along. Hook and Smee even took audience interaction to a new level by exiting one scene directly through the audience.
As the performance progressed and Tinkerbell was captured by Hook and his band of not-so-merry men, the story shifted to a rescue plan as Peter, Wendy and the lost children took it upon themselves to board Hook’s ship and free their flighty friend.
What followed was an imaginative use of props as the chairs, table and stools which featured earlier were rearrange to convey the journey at sea and provide us with the plank which Captain Hook would be forced to walk along after a dramatic duel with Peter; his fate ultimately sealed as the tick-tock sound returned and the monstrous crocodile which had previously eaten his now-hooked-hand returned to feast on the rest of the nefarious captain as he floated upon the sea.
And with a bombastic closing number we were returned to the safety of St. Valentinus-Stift, with everyone – including the hilariously misunderstood Crocodile/'Ali Gator' – rejoicing at the demise of captain Hook.
Top marks to all involved; from wardrobe design through to orchestration and performance. The classic costume designs of past adaptations of the story were respected, the young choir provided excellent accompaniment and each of the main performers delivered their parts with aplomb and humour.
But for me perhaps the greatest achievement of this production was how it all came together and effortlessly managed to hold the attention of so many young children over the course of 60 minutes. No space in the story was left wanting and the orchestra provided a soundtrack more than worthy of the brilliant performers on the stage. Despite my limited knowledge of German, the narrative was easy to follow and the considerable applause – over multiple curtain calls – emphasised how enjoyable and engaging this show was for children and parents alike.
In the end, everyone was hooked.
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