By David Walters
In Peter Pan Goes Wrong, I was the odd man out. That was me, row K seat 114. The odd man out, surrounded by a packed theater, everyone around me laughing and applauding and leaping to their feet in a full-house standing ovation at the end. I found myself odd and out, still seated in my chair and wondering. Wondering what did they experience that I didn’t click into? What did they get swept away with that I didn’t? Am I now curmudgeonly? Do I even have a right to say anything about the production?
Peter Pan Goes Wrong is from the Goes Wrong theater company Mischief, founded by three former acting school roommates — Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields — Mischief specializes in farcical deconstruction of well-known stories. Each Goes Wrong play is a presentation of the work of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, a troupe of hearts-in-the-right-place amateur thespians. Whenever the Cornley players take the stage though, something inevitably goes awry. A whole lot of somethings, and a whole lot of awrys.
As it was supposed to, everything went wrong on stage, the pratfalls happened, the set broke fell apart and spun out of control, headphones were used to help forgetful actors, things that were not supposed to be heard were heard, stagehands stepped in to save the day when all else failed, cheeky fluorescent fish swam about in a blackout, people were electrocuted, caught on fire and extinguished, every actor got their chance to mug to the delight of the audience, and the star got his chance to shine in his spotlight and be applauded. I absolutely appreciate and admire all the work that went into bringing this show to the stage and the talent and energy of actors and crew that happened before my eyes, no question.
Soul. I think is the answer for me. It lacked a soul.
It must be a blast for the actors to do, playing with and reacting with the audience, lightning-fast costume changes, the catching fire bit, flying and crashing into walls, all the while milking the audience’s laughter. But like eating hot and spicy food, after a while the spice in my mouth dulls and the initial zing fades.
I’m not you though, and if you believe that you would thrill at the silly zaniness and know that you’d enjoy the clowning of getting stuck in doors and banging heads and craziness of it all, then please go, roar with laughter at the foibles of cast and crew, jump to your feet in applause at the end, and have a good time.
A Mischief production of Peter Pan Goes Wrong, by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields based on the play Peter Pan by JM Barre.
Starring Matthew Cavendish, Bianca Horn, Harry Kershaw, Chris Leask, Henry Lewis, Ellie Morris, Charlie Russell, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields, Greg Tannahill, Nancy Zamit, Ryan Vincent Anderson, Stephen James Anthony, Fred Gray, Brenann Stacker, and Neil Patrick Harris.
Now playing on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre 243 W. 47th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue
The running time is approximately 2 hours and 5 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.
Tickets can be purchased here.
Neil Patrick Harris will be with the production only through April 30.
As always, this is just one person’s opinion in a world filled with them.
