Premiere: November 04, 2023 – reviewed performance: November 19, 2023

Since I have always been quite fascinated by the imaginative story about Peter Pan and Neverland, I was also very interested in the world premiere of the musical "The Return of Peter Pan" (by Stephen Keeling and Shaun McKenna in the production by Sebastian Ritschel and Ronny Scholz) at the Theater Regensburg.

The play preserves almost all the popular characters from the story we know and tells them further, adapted to modern times. It's about Brina (Scarlett Pulwey), a punky, rebellious teenage girl. She is almost exclusively interested in her ninja mobile game and not at all in old-fashioned children's stories. Since their mother Jane (Esther Baar) can no longer pay the rent, they are thrown out of the apartment and have to spend the night in Kensington Gardens together with Brina's younger siblings Josh (Samuel Lachance) and Ellie (Zoe Ordaz de la Fuente). There they meet the "Old Men" who offer them accommodation and go along, although Brina is very skeptical. In the night, Peter Pan (Felix Rabas) suddenly appears there and offers the children to fly to Neverland with him and his fairy Tink (Fabiana Locke). Meanwhile, Captain Hook (Alejandro Nicolás Firlei Fernández) was trapped in the crocodile's mouth for many years and has now finally been able to free himself. Then he tries to gather his old crew around him again. But his pirates have married all the mermaids in the meantime and don't want to know anything more about being a pirate at first, only when Hook forces them because of their blood oath do they follow him again... Peter can't remember anything from the past, neither the pirates nor his lost boys. He only has Tink, but she is quite annoyed by his behavior towards her and is also jealous of Brina. That's why she lets herself be tempted to make common cause with Hook, she brings the ninja fighters from Brina's mobile game to life if he promises to believe in Tink forever in return. The ninjas attack Peter and the children, who are able to flee at first, but are then overwhelmed by Hook and Hook leaves Peter tied up on the Mermaid Stone, who is supposed to drown in the flood there over time. Tink at least saves the children and brings them home, even if they are very reluctant to leave Neverland. At home, Brina's mother Jane has meanwhile found out that the "Old Men" are actually the lost boys that Peter had sent away to find out if growing up is an adventure and perhaps appealing after all. Brina is able to convince the lost boys to fly back to Neverland with her and her siblings to free Peter. Hook, who now has Tink completely under his control, notices that Peter has been freed and plans another ambush for Peter. Meanwhile, Brina and the Old Men motivate Peter to fight Hook again to defeat him for good. And so it comes to the decisive fight between Hook and Peter....

The music of the piece by Stephen Keeling is largely reminiscent of classical music films or British musicals (such as Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), but also has jazzy moments in Tink's songs. In Captain Hook's songs, you usually work with a classic 3/4 time to show that he still comes from the earlier time or in the solo from his right hand Smee (Paul Kmetsch) harpsichord elements are built-in. Peter always has a rather calm baladic style in his songs, which could perhaps show that he always has all the time in the world, because he doesn't age. Some of the melodies also have quite catchy tunes and stay in your head at first. The music of the piece is wonderfully performed by the Regensburg Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Harish Shankar.

The costumes (Kristopher Kempf) are overall very colorful, eye-catching and modern, only Captain Hook still has the really classic pirate look and Tink's costume also looks quite familiar. Peter and Tink have also kept the usual color green, while the pirates and mermaids have the whole color palette represented.

The stage set is kept relatively simple, it consists of gray and colorful cubes, which are stacked differently and are very reminiscent of Tetris or Minesweaper. There are individual elements that can be moved up and down, sliding gates and the whole cube element can be rotated to switch to the different locations, at the beginning the family apartment, the house of the Old Men, Neverland, the Lagoon Bay, the Mermaid Rock. The whole element is also illuminated in different colors again and again. And stars or waves are also projected onto it in between.

Felix Rabas plays Peter Pan very expressively and his carefree and arrogance very convincing. He is also very present vocally and you like to listen to him.

Scarlett Pulwey plays both the rebellious, disinterested teenage girl Brina, as well as her change to enthusiasm very authentically. She has a strong stage presence both acting and singing.

Alejandro Nicolás Firlei Fernández is a blustering, authoritarian Captain Hook, who also manages to bring some comedy into the role every now and then. He is also vocally strong.

Fabiana Locke plays the different facets of Tink very convincingly, sometimes she is short-tempered, sometimes, sometimes sad/hurt and almost hopeless, you buy all of that from her. Vocally, she also shows the power woman time and again.

The child actors Samuel Lachance and Zoe Ordaz de la Fuente play the siblings Josh and Ellie very bright and enthusiastic and both have a great stage presence.

All the other actors also play their roles great, it is a pleasure to watch them and they round off this imaginative, well-realized family musical perfectly. (20.11.23)

​

CLAUDIA SORGENFREI

Bühnenlichter.de

​

​