Peter Pan Version 1 (Perusal)

Scene One

The Darling’s Nursery

There are three single beds a chair, a large toybox and an open window. Music cue 1: Chorus. After song ends…Exit Chorus (SL)

Enter Michael and John at a run (SR) playing at pirates around the room and hopping on and off the beds.

JOHN: Avast me hearties! Splice the mainbrace and hoist the jolly roger!

MICHAEL: I can’t, captain!

JOHN: Why not?

MICHAEL: Roger’s feelin’ a bit off.

JOHN: Pirates aren’t allowed to feel off! Give him a taste of the cat!

MICHAEL: Aye-aye captain! (calling) Here puss, puss!

Enter Nana (SR) she jumps on the bed, causing Michael to fall off.

JOHN: Man overboard!

Enter Wendy (SR)

WENDY: What’s all the commotion, boys?

JOHN: (to Wendy) You! Cabin boy! Throw Black Dog a line and haul him aboard!

MICHAEL: (floundering on the floor) Help! I’m going down for the fourth time!

WENDY: I thought drowning people only went down three times.

JOHN: Pirates are made of sterner stuff, Wendy.

MICHAEL: Aren’t you going to rescue me from a watery grave Wendy?

WENDY: Sorry boys, I haven’t got time to play pirate games. Mum wants to know if you’ve taken your medicine yet.

JOHN: Oh yes, we’ve taken it. Haven’t we Black Dog?

MICHAEL: (standing) Aye, Captain!

WENDY: Have the boys had their medicine, Nana?

NANA: (shaking head) Ruff! Ruff!

WENDY: Fetch the medicine bottle and a spoon, Nana.

NANA: Ruff! Ruff! (exits SL)

JOHN: (shouts) You mutinous dog, Nana!

Enter Nana with a large medicine bottle and a spoon.

WENDY: It’s medicine time boys.

MICHAEL: We’re not taking that.

WENDY: You must take it.

JOHN: But it tastes horrible!

WENDY: Mother says it’s good for you.

MICHAEL: Then how come you don’t take it?

WENDY: Mother says I don’t need to take it because I’m a regular girl.

Enter Mrs Darling (SR)

MRS DARLING: Come along children, it’s time to settle down to sleep.

WENDY: They won’t take their medicine, mother.

MRS DARLING: It won’t hurt to miss one night. Take the medicine away, Nana.

Exit Nana (SL) with the bottle and spoon.

JOHN & MICHAEL: (cheer) Yeah!

MRS DARLING: You can have a double dose tomorrow instead, boys.

JOHN & MICHAEL: (groan) Urrrgh!

MRS DARLING: Now, into bed all of you.

Children climb into their beds and lie down.

SFX: Thunder crack and lightning flash.

Peter Pan appears at the window. Mrs Darling turns and glances at the window, but Peter ducks quickly down again.

MRS DARLING: Who’s there? (looks out window) I thought I saw a young boy outside the window just now.

MR DARLING: (shouts off) Nana! Where are you?

Enter Mr Darling (SR)

MRS DARLING: Hello George, dear.

MR DARLING: Have you seen Nana anywhere, Mary?

MRS DARLING: She’s just putting the boy’s medicine away.

Enter Nana (SL) knocking Mr Darling over as she runs to the window.

MR DARLING: (picking himself up) How on earth did we end up with a dog for a nanny?

MRS DARLING: It was your idea, George.

MR DARLING: No, it wasn’t.

MRS DARLING: Yes, it was. When Nanny McVitie left, you asked me to go down the pound and pick up a replacement.

MR DARLING: No, dear. I said, go downtown and pick up a replacement.

MRS DARLING: Did you? Never mind – Nana’s as good as any nanny, and much cheaper.

Nana barks at the window.

MR DARLING: Why does she keep barking at the window?

MRS DARLING: Maybe she saw what I saw earlier.

MR DARLING: And what did you see?

MRS DARLING: A young boy’s face at the window.

MR DARLING: You can’t have – we’re three floors up.

MRS DARLING: You’re right dear, I must have imagined it.

MR DARLING: Be quiet Nana and come with me!

WENDY: Where are you taking Nana, father?

MR DARLING: Outside to her kennel.

JOHN: But she hasn’t tucked us up in bed yet.

MICHAEL: Or fluffed our pillows.

WENDY: Or sung us a song.

MRS DARLING: Nana’s a dog, children. She can’t tuck you in, fluff pillows or sing you a song.

CHILDREN: Oh yes, she can!

Nana nods in agreement.

MR DARLING: All right Nana. If you’re so clever, then let’s see you in action.

Nana rushes over to the beds, fluffs all their pillows and tucks them in.

MRS DARLING: Nana’s obviously a very clever dog, George.

MR DARLING: Maybe so, but there’s no way she can manage to sing to them.

Nana signals to band or wing. Music cue 2: Nana. After song ends…

MRS DARLING: Gosh! Not even Pudsey…(or other famous dog)…could manage that.

NANA: Ruff! Ruff! (bows several times to audience)

MR DARLING: That’ll do, Nana!

MRS DARLING: Goodnight children.

CHILDREN: Goodnight mother! Goodnight father!

Exit Mr and Mrs Darling with Nana (SR) lights dim.

Music cue 3: Enter Tinkerbell via window. She starts searching the room. She opens the opening toy-box and leaves the lid open.

Enter Peter through the window.

PETER: (hisses) Have you found it yet, Tink?

TINKERBELL: (whispers) No, Peter. Are you sure you lost it here?

PETER: Yes! It was separated from me by a big shaggy dog.

TINKERBELL: Maybe the dog carried it away and buried it.

PETER: Don’t say that Tink. I feel lost without my shadow. Have you looked under their beds?

TINKERBELL: Not yet.

PETER: (impatient) Then look now!

TINKERBELL: All right, keep your hair on!

PETER: Sssshh! Not so loud, or you might wake them.

TINKERBELL: (tetchy) Oh, shush yourself! (looks under John’s bed)

PETER: (looks under Michael’s bed) Anything under yours?

TINKERBELL: Nope – yours?

PETER: No Tink. Let’s hope it’s third time lucky. (reaches under Wendy’s bed) I can feel something! (Wendy turns in her sleep, startling him. She settles and he pulls out a material shadow) I have it, Tink!

TINKERBELL: Hurry up and put it on and then we can leave.

PETER: (drapes shadow over his back, attempting to re-attach it, but it falls to the floor) It won’t re-attach, Tink! (bends to pick it up)

WENDY: (wakes and sits bolt upright) What’s going on?

PETER: Oh! (jumps up startled and bumps into Tink, knocking her backwards into the toybox, whose lid slams shut)

WENDY: Who are you?

PETER: (heroic pose) I’m Peter Pan! What’s your name?

WENDY: Wendy Darling.

PETER: Hello, sweetheart.

WENDY: My name is, Wendy Darling.

PETER: That’s twice you’ve called me darling, and we’ve only just met.

WENDY: My first name is Wendy, and my surname name, is Darling.

PETER: Ah, I see.

WENDY: What are you doing in our bedroom?

PETER: I was searching for my shadow. (shows it)

WENDY: I didn’t think you could be separated from your shadow.

PETER: Things are very different where I come from.

WENDY: And where is that?

PETER: Neverland.

WENDY: I’ve never heard of Neverland. Where exactly is it?

PETER: (points at window) Second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning!

WENDY: That’s a strange location. Do your parents know you go around breaking into other people’s homes?

PETER: I didn’t break in, the window was open – and I don’t have any parents.

WENDY: You’re an orphan!?

PETER: I don’t know. Do orphans have parents?

WENDY: No – that’s why they’re called, orphans?

PETER: Then I must be an orphan.

WENDY: You poor thing. It must be upsetting for you.

PETER: I don’t remember ever having parents, so I can’t get upset about not having them, now can I?

WENDY: But don’t you ever get lonely?

PETER: No, I always have my shadow for company. (holds it up) Well, I did. But last night that big soppy dog of yours almost caught me, as I was leaving. I escaped, but my shadow was too slow.

WENDY: You’ve been here before?

PETER: Lots of times. I sit outside your window and listen to the stories your parents read to you. Then I return to Neverland and tell them to the Lost Boys.

WENDY: Who are, the Lost Boys?

PETER: They’re children who fell out of their prams when nobody was looking. And because they weren’t claimed within seven days, they were sent to live in Neverland. I don’t want to be without my shadow, but I can’t get it to reattach.

WENDY: Would you like me to sew it back on for you?

PETER: You’d do that for me?

WENDY: Of course. (takes shadow and ‘sews’ it back on Peter) There, all finished.

Peter walks around in a spotlight, which shows off his shadow. Or an actor enters dressed all in black and shadows him as he moves around stage. Music cue 4: Peter. After song ends…

PETER: That’s wonderful! Thanks Wendy!

WENDY: You’re welcome. I’d hate to be separated from my shadow. Going out on sunny days wouldn’t be the same without it tagging along.

PETER: Thanks again, Wendy. One girl is worth twenty boys.

WENDY: I don’t know about that, but I’ll give you a kiss just for saying it.

PETER: What’s a kiss?

WENDY: Don’t you know what a kiss is?

PETER: Not until you give it to me, I don’t.

WENDY: Close your eyes and hold out your hand. (he does so and she gives him a thimble) Now, open your eyes again.

PETER: (looks at thimble) That’s a very nice kiss.

WENDY: (giggles) I’m glad you like it.

PETER: Now, let me give you one. (Wendy closes her eyes waiting for a kiss, but he takes an acorn necklace from his neck and places it over her head) There Wendy, what do you think of that kiss?

WENDY: How old are you, Peter?

PETER: I don’t know.

WENDY: You must know how old you are, silly!

PETER: (petulant) Well I don’t – so there! (pokes tongue at her)

WENDY: It’s rude to poke your tongue out at people.

PETER: Oh no, it isn’t!

WENDY: Oh yes, it is!

PETER: Isn’t! Isn’t! Isn’t! (stamps feet)

WENDY: Stop behaving like a child and grow up!

PETER: I never want to grow up! That’s why I ran away to live with the fairies!

WENDY: I don’t believe in fairies.

PETER: That’s a terrible thing to say. Whenever anybody says, I don’t believe in fairies, another fairy dies. (exclaims) Tink! (looks around)

WENDY: Who’s Tink?

PETER: She’s a fairy who came here with me. Listen! Can you hear anything?

SFX: Tinkling bells.

WENDY: I can hear bells!

PETER: It’s coming from the toybox! (opens toybox and Tinkerbell climbs out)

WENDY: Gosh! It’s a real fairy!

PETER: This is Tinkerbell. Say hello to Wendy, Tink.

TINKERBELL: (grumpy) Hello, Windy.

WENDY: It’s Wendy.

TINKERBELL: That’s what I said – Windy!

WENDY: Is she from Neverland, too?

PETER: Yes, it’s wonderful there. We get to fight Pirates and Indians every day.

WENDY: My brothers would love it there.

PETER: Then why don’t you all come back with us?

WENDY: I don’t know if we should.

PETER: Please Wendy – there aren’t any girls like you in Neverland.

TINKERBELL: Excuse me Peter – hello!?

WENDY: You’re a fairy Tink, and fairies aren’t normal girls.

TINKERBELL: Charming! (folds arms and turns away in a huff)

WENDY: But if there are Lost Boys, then surely there must be lost girls.

PETER: Girls are much too clever to fall out of their prams, Wendy.

WENDY: More compliments. Just for that, I’m going to give you a kiss.

PETER: But you’ve already given me a kiss.

WENDY: That was just a joke. This is a real kiss. (leans forward to kiss him, but Tinkerbell pulls her hair preventing it) Owah! (to Tink) You pulled my hair!

TINKERBELL: Yes, and I’ll do it again if you try giving Peter a kiss.

WENDY: You obviously know what a kiss is.

TINKERBELL: Yes, so just watch it.

PETER: Come with us Wendy, and you can tell stories to the Lost Boys, just like a mother would. They’ve never had parents to read stories to them.

WENDY: That’s so sad.

PETER: Their favourite is the one about the girl who lost her glass slipper.

WENDY: You mean, Cinderella?

PETER: Yes, that’s the one.

TINKERBELL: Whatever happened to Cinderella? I didn’t hear how it ended.

WENDY: She married Prince Charming, and they lived happily ever after.

Tinkerbell puts her hands over her heart and sighs.

PETER: Come to Neverland with us Wendy. It will be a great adventure, I promise.

WENDY: (hesitating) Well, I…

TINKERBELL: (dragging him away) Let’s go Peter. Can’t you see she’s not interested?

WENDY: I didn’t say that, now did I? But how will we get there?

PETER: We’ll fly there of course! (flies up)

WENDY: Gosh Peter, you can fly!

PETER: Yes, Wendy.

WENDY: But I can’t fly, Peter.

TINKERBELL: (sassy) One to us girl fairies, I think.

PETER: I’ll teach you how to fly, Wendy.

WENDY: You can’t teach somebody how to fly, Peter.

PETER: Yes, I can! Just say yes, and we’ll be in Neverland by morning.

WENDY: (excited) Yes, Peter! I’ll come! (rousing the boys) John! Michael! Wake up!

They boys pull the covers up tight and answer without looking up.

MICHAEL: What is it, Wendy?

WENDY: Peter Pan’s here!

JOHN: Don’t talk silly, you must’ve dreamt it.

MICHAEL: Go back to sleep Wendy.

WENDY: (pulls covers back) I didn’t dream it! (indicating Peter and Tink) Look, they’re real! Pinch yourselves if you don’t believe me!

JOHN & MICHAEL: (pinch themselves) Ouch! (they get out of bed)

JOHN: They’re real, Michael!

MICHAEL: But what are they doing here?

WENDY: They’ve come to take us to a place called, Neverland.

JOHN: What’s so special about Neverland, that we’d want to go there?

PETER: Do you like fighting Pirates and Indians?

JOHN & MICHAEL: (eager) Yes, Peter!

PETER: In Neverland, you can fight them all day every day.

MICHAEL: And how do we get there?

WENDY: We’re going to fly ourselves there.

MICHAEL: (laughs) People can’t fly, Wendy!

WENDY: Peter can teach us how to fly. Isn’t that so, Peter?

PETER: Yes, Wendy. Tink, sprinkle them with magic fairy dust please.

TINKERBELL: Sorry Peter, I’m all out of magic fairy dust.

PETER: I can see your dust pouch is full, Tink. Now, hurry up and do it.

TINKERBELL: Fine! (delves into pouch and sprinkles fairy dust over Wendy and Boys)

PETER: Now, let’s climb out the window and get ready to fly!

They start climbing out of the window as lights dim.