Peter Pan
by Monica Conrady

huge white tent has appeared on the Embarcadero in Ferry Park, across from San Francisco’s Ferry Building. The Threesixty Theatre, a tented theatre-in-the-round, made its debut in London’s Kensington Gardens last year with a spectacular new stage production of Peter Pan. It was recently shipped 6,000 miles to San Francisco, where the U.S. premiere of J.M. Barrie’s classic story is currently being performed.

It was on December 27, 1904, that the play, Peter Pan, was first performed at London.’s Duke of York theatre. Since then, it has been constantly adapted for the stage and screen worldwide.

The latest production on San Francisco.’s waterfront is simply stunning. The circular tent allows the audience to be immersed in Peter.’s world of fairies, mermaids, wicked pirates, puppets and the Darling family.

The high-tech show features 360-degree CGI (computer-generated imagery), so when Peter and Wendy fly to Neverland, the audience flies right along with them. Soaring over church steeples, under arches, along the Thames to Tower Bridge is quite magical.

San Francisco is indeed sprinkled with fairy dust these days.

Sir James Matthew Barrie, Peter Pan’s creator, was born in 1860 in the small Scottish weaving town of Kirriemuir. He wrote several well-known books, among them The Admirable Crichton and What Every Woman Knows, but it was his enchanting tale of a boy who wouldn’t grow up that became such an enduring part of everyone’s childhood.

In 1929, J.M. Barrie gave the rights to his immortal classic to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London. Since then, the hospital has received royalties every time the play is performed or a movie shown in the U.K. His love of children has endured.

Ferry Park, known as Neverland Park for the duration, is open from 7 a.m. to two hours prior to curtain time and is free of charge. A tented pavilion offers food, drinks and show souvenirs. An exhibition, “100 years of Peter Pan,” features photos and text of productions through the ages. As Peter said, “All you need is trust and a little bit of pixie dust.” San Francisco is indeed sprinkled with fairy dust these days.

Peter Pan: www.peterpantheshow.com