Peter Pan

History

The most engaging stories on paper are often the ones that begin aloud in the open air. The art of telling a story encourages a virtual dialogue, with the storyteller trusting to the listener’s enthusiasm to know when to expand or reduce the detail, when to modulate a character and, most thrilling of all, when to depart from the intended script altogether to follow some fascinating diversion.

Imagine, then, the audiences that took place in Black Lake Cottage, near Surrey, England, in the summer of 1900. In the timeless and carefree air of a summer holiday, the small and serious J.M. Barrie doubtless grew as wide-eyed and animated as the three young boys in his thrall as he wove a story of pirates, warriors, fairies, crocodiles and the boy who saw too much joy in being a boy to wish for the grey mantle of adulthood.

Such was the affectionate beginning of Peter Pan. In the century since then, Barrie’s story has attracted as many psychological readings as artistic interpretations. Yet the spirit of Barrie’s original ageless boy prevails, and so does his magic for any child - for anyone - who ever knew the wildest wish to fly.

A talent for invention came early to James Matthew Barrie. He was born in 1860, the ninth of 10 children in his family, in the Scottish weaving town of Kirriemuir. Life could be stern, but reading was honoured, and so was imagination. Young Jamie thrilled to the adventure tales told by his mother, and was presently sharing stories of his own. A friend had a toy theatre stage, and the boys progressed quickly from playing with the oy to presenting their own shows in a building across the street from the Barrie home. Teenage friendships at Dumfries Academy spurred his creativity. His new best friend, Wellwood Anderson, shared his passion for the local theatre and they formed the Dumfries Amateur Dramatic Club.

Informed and opinionated theatre criticism helped Barrie get his start as a freelance writer, and tireless perseverance allowed him to build a successful journalism career in London. In 1888 he made his debut as a novelist with Auld Licht Idylls, a not entirely reverential recollection of his early surroundings. Three years later he had more success with The Little Minister, a novel that was adapted for no less than three movies. Writing for the theatre was more fulfilling, and by that Barrie did extremely well, producing hits such as Quality Street and The Admirable Crichton and enjoying transatlantic success.

The development of Peter Pan was a more capricious business, and one that refers inevitably to the eccentricities of his personal life. In particular, there was his deep friendship with Sylvia Llewelyn-Davies and her children. He was married to an actress, Mary Ansell, and after three years the union had produced no children. Nonetheless, by many accounts he fell in love with Llewelyn-Davies, much to her husband’s dismay, and also warmed to her children as if they were his own. Indeed, after the parents died, Barrie became their unofficial guardian.

During those long summer days at Black Lake, Barrie entertained the three eldest boys (Peter, George and Jack) with tales of Peter Pan and his adventures. As the boys began to act scenes from the stories, Barrie photographed them with plans for a picture book, The Boy Castaways. The ageless character first appeared in print in 1902 in Barrie’s novel, The Little White Bird, where a wealthy bachelor and gadabout regales a young boy with fanciful stories. The first stage performance (entitled Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up) took place on December 27, 1904 at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London, and the play’s uccess was echoed quickly in America. It was not until 1911, however, that Barrie finally produced a roper book, known originally as Peter and Wendy.Barrie died in 1937, but his creation continues to inspire fresh generations of children, and in more than one way. In his later years, Barrie lent his support to Great Ormond Street Hospital, a children’s hospital in London. When the hospital contacted him in 1929 for his help in steering a fundraising campaign, Barrie replied by granting the hospital the copyright and other intellectual rights to Peter Pan, with the annual amount to be kept secret. A secret it remains, but the gift has been a generous one. Since 1924 there have been four movie versions (including the famous Disney animation and Steven Spielberg’s Hook), and countless stage and ballet interpretations. In August 2004, the Special Trustees of Great Ormond Street Hospital marked the centenary of Peter Pan by launching an international call for a writer to craft a sequel. English author Geraldine McCaughrean was chosen from nearly 200 entries. Her book, Peter Pan in Scarlet, was released October 5, 2006, ending years of Harry Potter-strength secrecy and proving you can’t keep a free boy down.

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