B Sharp’s current production, in association with ‘The Working Group’ productions, is ‘Pan’ by Sydney actor and writer, Toby Schmitz, adapted from J.M. Barrie’s classic children’s story.

This was a fun, hip night at the theatre. Director Joseph Couch and Schmitz have revisited the story’s main characters, Wendy Darling, Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Tinkerbell, and given them contemporary makeovers. There are plenty of changes to the original story, transforming ‘Pan’ into a, fast paced 90 minutes of theatre.

Schmitz’s revamping starts with a restless Wendy at home, weary of banal reality, and losing herself in a never ending sea of lurid and escapist crime fiction. Her father is worried about her apathy towards current events, and tries to prevent her growing interest in the opposite sex.

Then through the bathroom window, enters Peter Pan. Armed with fairy dust and a winning smile, Pan leads Wendy by the hand out of the house and into the world of dreams, fantasies and limitless freedom. Quickly young Wendy finds the male world of Neverland is not what she had expected. For one thing she is caught in a frantic power struggle between Hook and Pan.

Two things made this show for me, the brash tone of the production, and an inspiring cast.

I loved the in the face, rock and roll, rough edged nature of the production. Band instruments were set up on stage, that actors made use of, especially popular were the drums, and the electric guitar! Actors raced across the stage, grabbing mikes they needed to. A large, anarchistic canvas hung over the stage. Smokescreens were set up. Everything was leant to create the dream/ nightmare atmosphere. Absurd humour was incorporated.

Nicola Gunn was an excellent Wendy. She had a warm stage presence, and captured Wendy’s bemusement in trying to work out her strange new world.
Gibson Nolte was wonderful as Peter Pan. I enjoyed his mannerisms, and the way he physically embodied his character-it genuinely felt like he was Peter Pan, floating in and out.

Ben Winspear was suitably villainous as Captain Hook, intent on revenge.
A collective of five young actors played the Lost Boys and Pirates. They did good work, especially in the scenes where they amusingly interacted with Wendy, and they tried to work out whether it would be better if she was their mother or their girlfriend. I especially liked the work of Ben Borgia as Frisky.