A magical team surround Waylon Jacobs in this wondrous ‘one-man’ Peter Pan at the Barn Theatre
“Aren’t you going to do the voices?”
Something about Peter Pan always ends up making me cry. I know this but still, I wasn’t prepared for the way in which Alan Pollock’s adaptation, conceived and directed by Kirk Jameson for the Barn Theatre, completely poleaxed me. It’s a subtle reference that comes out of left field late on during this production, but it is achingly, gorgeously, done, a real reminder of the power of theatre to play with your emotions even during the most familiar of work.
This version of JM Barrie’s classic is billed as a one-man-show, as Waylon Jacob’s father checks into his hotel room and Zooms with his daughter to tell her a bedtime story. And though it takes him a moment to get into it, soon he’s using any and all of the things around him to magic up a storytelling masterclass. Jacob is superb as he embodies all of the characters we know so well, and is aided by a creative team that conjure up an atmosphere that is truly enchanting.
From Nick Barstow’s elegiac musical compositions to the intricate details of Harry Smith’s sound design, the combination of Joe Price’s lighting work and Benjamin Collins’ projections creating moments of real wonder, all housed in the playful space of Gregor Donnelly’s design. A recommended festive treat and I dare you to stay dry-eyed!
