Peter Pan Version 2 (Perusal)

Scene One

The Darling’s Nursery

Two single beds are strategically placed, one for Wendy and one for the Boys, who share. A large open window is (SR) The Darling Children are playing at pirates. Music cue 2: John and Michael fighting, John is Hook in oversized costume, hook, moustache, etc. Michael is Peter Pan, and uses a rolled-up umbrella as a sword. Wendy is draped with loose ropes.

Wendy (melodramatic swoon) Save me from the evil Captain Hook, Peter Pan!

Michael (heroic) Don’t worry Wendy. Me and my brave dog will save you! (looks around – stage whisper) Where’s Nana, John?

John I don’t know, Michael. but she’s missed her cue again.

Nana bounds on (SR)

Wendy (pointing at Nana) Here she is!

Michael (to Nana – pointing at John) Get Captain Hook, Nana!

Nana (bounds over to John) Woof! Woof! Woof!

John Blast and double-blast! You win this time, Pan! Just keep that savage dog away from me!

Nana (clasps hands in the air in victory) Woof! Woof!

Wendy’s ropes fall off and all dance around Nana, whooping and cheering.

Mr and Mrs Darling enter (SR) 

Mr Darling What on earth is all that noise?

Michael We’re just playing our favourite game, father.

John Peter Pan versus Captain Hook and his pirates.

Mrs Darling Well it’s time to drop anchor and climb into your hammocks, children.

Children Eh!?

Mr Darling It’s nautical speak for ‘beds’.

The Children giggle and jump onto their respective beds and Wendy takes the rolled-up shadow from under her pillow and cuddles it close.

Mrs Darling (spots the shadow) What’s that you have in your hand, Wendy?

Wendy (coyly) This? Oh, it’s nothing.

Michael It’s Peter Pan’s shadow!

Mr Darling (chuckles) Peter Pan’s shadow?

John We think he surreptitiously visits us, to listen to Wendy’s stories.

Mr Darling And he somehow managed to leave his shadow behind, did he?

Wendy But it’s true, father! (lets the shadow cloth unroll) See?

Mrs Darling It does look remarkably like Peter Pan’s shadow. (nudging Mr Darling, to play along) Doesn’t it George?

Mr Darling (refusing to play along) Don’t encourage them Mary. (to Children) Listen children. Peter Pan doesn’t really exist.

Children Oh yes, he does!

Mr Darling Oh no, he doesn’t!

Children (eliciting audience help) Oh yes, he does!

Mr Darling Oh no, he doesn’t!

Wendy Well we all believe in him. (to audience) Don’t we? (audience respond)

Mrs Darling Let them have their fun George. Now did you book the taxi to take us to the party?

Mr Darling Of course, I did.

SFX: Car horn.

Mr Darling That sounds like it now.

Mrs Darling Goodnight children, and be good for Nana.

Children We will! Goodnight mother! Goodnight father!

Mr Darling Goodnight children.

Mrs and Mrs Darling exit.

John They’ve gone. Let’s play pirates again!

With a whoop the children jump off their beds and start to pretend fight again.

Nana (stepping in and stopping them) Woof! Woof! (stern, pointing at beds) Woof!

Michael Is it bedtime already, Nana?

Nana (nods) Woof!

Wendy Let’s get into bed, boys. (whispers to them) And who knows. Perhaps Peter Pan will visit us again tonight.

John And if we manage to stay awake, we might actually spot him.

The Children settle down to sleep and lights dim.

Nana (stretches and yawns and waves to audience) Woof! Woof! (exits SL)

After a short pause. Music cue 3: Tink appears at the window. She climbs through and enters the room. She tiptoes to each bed in turn, checking on the occupants.

Peter Pan suddenly appears at the window.

Peter (whispers) Are they all asleep yet, Tink?

Tink (whispers) Yes, Peter.

Peter Pan enters the room.

Peter Then let’s hurry and find it, before they wake. (pointing at Wendy) I say! She looks quite cute, Tink.

Tink (unimpressed) Compared to me, she looks like a big pudding. (shows off her own figure as if to make a point, then sticks out her tongue at Wendy. She spots the rolled-up shadow in Wendy’s arms and points it out to Peter) She has your shadow, Peter!

Peter Well done, Tink! (tries taking the shadow, but Wendy holds it tight)

Wendy (murmurs) Oh, Peter Pan!

Tink She’s awake!

Peter No Tink, she’s just dreaming about me.

Tink Huh! (crosses her arms, stamps petulantly) Hurry up and get it then!

Wendy turns and loosens her hold.

Peter (eases the shadow from Wendy’s grasp) Got it! Now find me something to stick it back on with.

Tink (looking around) Like what?

Peter (urgently) I don’t know, Tink! Look for something!

Tinkerbell (pulls a face and stomps around looking. Picks up a large Pritt-Stick) Here, try this.

Peter What is it?

Tink (reading the label) It’s a Pratt-Stick.

Peter I beg your pardon?

Tink (checking label again) Sorry, my mistake. I meant Pritt-Stick.

Peter I’ll try anything! Give it here. (takes the Pritt-Stick, sits on floor with the shadow and tries using the soap to stick it back on his feet) It won’t stick back on, Tink! (getting frustrated, he throws a tantrum, growling and stamping his feet, almost crying) Urrrgh!

The noise wakes Wendy, who spots them and sits bolt upright.

Wendy Peter Pan! I’ve just been dreaming about you, and now here you are! (climbs out of bed and looks closely at him) But why are you crying?

Peter I’m not crying! I…had something in my eye. (heroic stance) Peter Pan, never cries!

Tink (walks around Wendy, touching her hair and clothes) And what are you then? You’re not a Pan and you’re not a fairy.

Wendy Me? Why, I’m just a normal girl.

Peter (brings his face close to hers) I’ve never seen a normal girl up close before.

Tink (indicating herself) And what do you think I am?

Peter You’re a fairy, Tink. And fairies aren’t normal girls.

Wendy (touching Tink’s wings) Gosh! I’ve never met a real fairy before.

Tink (brushing her off) I’ll thank you not to touch my wings! They crease easily!

Wendy Sorry!

Peter (to Wendy) What’s your name?

Wendy I’m ‘Wendy Moira Angela Darling’.

Tink That’s a silly name for a girl.

Wendy And what’s your name, then?

Tink None of your business, that’s what.

Peter It’s ‘Tinkerbell’.

Wendy (laughs) ‘Tinkerbell’! And you think my name’s silly?

Tink My name is perfectly normal…for a fairy. I’m also Peter’s best friend in the whole wide world. (to Peter) Come on Peter, let’s get back home to the Lost Boys.

Wendy (curious) ‘Lost boys’? Who are the Lost Boys?

Peter They’re children who fell out of their prams when nobody was looking, and got lost. And now they live with us, in Neverland.

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

Tink Didn’t you do geography at school?

Peter Ignore Tink, Wendy. She knows full well that Neverland is not on any normal map.

Wendy I’d love to go somewhere that isn’t on any normal map.

Tink Well you can’t, so there! (sticks her tongue out)

Wendy But why not?

Tink Because the only way to get to Neverland is to fly there. And you can’t fly, you being a…(air quotes)…‘normal’ girl.

Peter Tink’s right. The only way to get to Neverland is to fly there.

Tink (sarcastic to Wendy) What a shame that big puddings can’t fly

Peter Don’t be rude, Tink. (to Wendy) Pity though. The Lost Boys would’ve loved you like a mother, Wendy.

Tink I can be their mother if you like, Peter.

Peter Can you cook?

Tink Well…no.

Peter Can you sew?

Tink Not really.

Peter Can you tell bedtime stories?

Tink What are ‘bedtime stories’?

Wendy (proudly) I can do all those things.

Tink That’s all well-and-good, Miss Smarty-pants. But can you do this? (flies up and
around and then lands again)

Wendy (subdued) No, I can’t fly.

Tink Then you can never go to Neverland. (tries dragging Peter away) You have your shadow Peter, now let’s go.

Peter (sulking) But it won’t stick on and might fall off again.

Wendy I could sew it back on for you.

Peter You could?

Wendy Yes. Just sit on the end of my bed and I’ll fetch my sewing-kit.

Peter sits on the bed and Wendy brings out a sewing needle and thread and pretend-sews on the cloth shadow with giant stitches. *(see properties)

Peter (stands and shows off his shadow) That’s wonderful! (to Shadow) Now stay put shadow! (to Wendy) How can I ever thank you, Wendy?

Wendy By taking me to Neverland with you?

Tink (flatly) That’s impossible!

Peter Nothing’s impossible, if you put your mind to it Tink. I’ll just sit here and think, until I come up with something. (sits on Wendy’s bed and thinks, then suddenly jumps up) I have it! (to Tink) Tink, pass me your bag of magic fairy-dust.

Tink What do you want with my fairy-dust?

Peter I’m going to sprinkle some over Wendy, to enable her to fly like us. I don’t know why we didn’t think of it before, Tink.

Wendy (suspicious) Maybe she did.

Tink You’ll be making a big mistake, Peter.

Peter Peter Pan doesn’t make mistakes. Now hand it over, Tink.

Tinkerbell  (hands over a small pouch/bag) Here, take it! I’m off back to Neverland!

Peter Aren’t you flying back with us, Tink?

Tink No. I’ll fly on ahead and warn the Lost Boys to expect a big pudding for a mother!  (flies off)

Wendy I don’t think she likes me very much.

Peter Pay no attention to her. Fairies can be very clingy. I’ll just sprinkle some of this fairy-dust on you, and then you’ll be able to fly with me to Neverland. (reaches into the bag)

Wendy No, wait!

Peter Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind?

Wendy No, but my brothers would never forgive me, if I went to Neverland without them. Please can they come with us?

Peter Of course they can, Wendy.

Wendy (waking the Boys) John! Michael! Wake up!

Michael (sleepily) What is it Wendy?

Wendy Peter Pan is here!

John (disbelieving) Yeah, right. (turns over)

Peter (crows loudly) Cock-a-doodle-do!

The Boys suddenly become wide-awake and sit up.

John & Michael Peter pan!

Peter Hello boys. How would you like to come to Neverland with me?

John & Michael (wide-eyed) Yes please!

John And how do we get there?

Peter We fly there of course! (pointing at the window) First star on the right and right on ‘til morning!

Michael (jumping about – excited) Hurray! We’re going to fly to Neverland!

Wendy Yes, Michael. Isn’t it wonderful?

John (to Michael & Wendy) I’m sorry you two, but it’s not technically feasible for us to fly. It’s a case of weight ratio and arm-lift ability, versus wind-speed velocity. People just aren’t aerodynamically equipped to fly.

Wendy Neither are bumble-bees, according to David Attenborough.

Peter Well said, Wendy. Now all of you stand still while I sprinkle you with fairy-dust. (he does so and then drops the bag on the floor) Now let’s fly!

All fly up and off – see properties. Music cue 4: