REVIEW: Wendy & Peter Pan

Ella Hickson's re-imagining of JM Barrie's classic, running at the RSC at the Barbican until 22 November, promises to put Wendy centre-stage.

Hannah Saxby and Daniel Krikler take to the skies at the RSC cr. Manuel Harlan

'I am Wendy Darling: I am brave and strong and I'm going on an adventure - who's with me?' Hickson's first change to the original has nothing to do with our heroine per se but, spoiler alert, is to create a younger brother, Tom, in the Darling family. In the opening scene Tom catches cold and dies. Fast-forward a year and the family, in different ways, are all struggling to cope with their grief. Wendy has the added burden of blaming herself for Tom's death because she had refused to sew a button onto his pyjamas. It is a brilliant twist, making sense of why Wendy wants to go to Neverland - only there does she think she will find her beloved little brother and be able to make everything right again.

The sets are suitably majestic. There is a swirling video wash over the back of the stage that adds a filmic, Pirates of the Caribbean feel when we reach the Jolly Roger though, having watched the first half up in the Gods (thanks to a suspended Hammersmith & City line), I can confirm that you don't really get the full effect of this unless you are seated in the Circle or below.

Wendy may come first in the billing but Daniel Krikler's captivating Peter is in no doubt who is the most important person in this play. He blasts on stage, a bundle of raw energy. Plainly on the autism spectrum, living only in the moment, he is filled with all the contradictory charms and challenges of a neuro-diverse personality.

Tink, a straight-talking Charlotte Mills who cannot abide the touchy-feely Wendy, is veering into panto territory, not that that is a bad thing. She had some of the loudest laughs.

Toby Stephens plays Mr Darling, beautifully, and hams it up as Captain Hook, though perhaps is missing a bit of truly menacing edge. A very camp Smee doesn't quite get the laughs he plays for.

Wendy, an engaging Hannah Saxby, comes into her own in the second act, combining forces with Tiger Lily and Tink to show the boys what girl power looks like.

It is long, 2 hours, 45 minutes. At least part of this is due to the empowered girls taking over. While I loved Wendy's feminist portrayal, I rather wished she could have worked with Peter and maybe shaved 20 minutes off the running time. Plus, I am not sure that the parallel storyline of Mr and Mr Darling struggling with their marriage back home adds a huge amount. That said, the company is uniformly excellent, there is some good sword fighting and atmospheric dance sequences, especially the multiple dancers who simultaneously cast Peter's shadow across the stage. And the flying is, as you would expect, spectacular. One happy thought and off you go....!

Wendy & Peter Pan Royal Shakespeare Company, Barbican Theatre 21 Oct–22 Nov. Tickets: from £25. Ages 7+.