Inspiration continued....

Trailer for Peter and Alice

I recently went to see the new play Peter and Alice at the Noel Coward Theatre starring Judi Dench and Ben Whishaw.  If you have tickets or are thinking of going to see it then you should stop reading now because I will probably spoil it for you. John Logan's writing resurfaced and assured my fascination with stories and how all children should have access to the magic of them.  The magic I believe that theatre can bring - therefore relating back to my line of inquiry.

The play focuses on the characters of Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland.  We meet the real people behind the characters and see how this constant association has effected them in later life.  We see reality, memory and imaginary getting blurred as their is interaction with JM Barrie, Lewis Carroll and the characters of themselves.  We follow the journey of how never quite living up to a fairytale depiction of themselves has affected their lives, they are almost haunted by their fictional selves.  It sounds pretty dark doesn't it....but the beauty of the stories and the magic they have created for so many is demonstrated too! The point of affirmation for me came at the end.  Throughout the play Alice is more of a dreamer saying why can't I believe in stories and pretend that I am in wonderland sometimes - the character dies peacefully in her sleep.  Peter is always searching for truth and holds onto reality steadfastly seeing no purpose in make believe - the character kills himself.  I am sure this is taken differently by every member of the audience but to me it highlights my belief that there is so much grim reality surrounding us every day why not dream in stories, let our imagination run and let our minds play in fictional, past or present worlds.  People visit the theatre as a form of escapism from reality and that is something we all need to keep perspective and happiness in our lives.  Some people go to a bar, some people go on holiday, some people read a book - we all have our own forms of escapism.  But for a child I believe tapping into their imagination letting them explore, experiment, create and express themselves is so important in development.  I think theatre can let a child do this.  Theatre lies in storytelling and has the power to educate, inform and let us explore - I want children to be children for as long as they can, after all we all hold on to our childhood just like Peter and Alice.  That is why my line of inquiry will focus on engagement and access that children have to theatre, in my dream world every child would get to visit the theatre regularly and take away an amazing, memorable experience from it.  I remember one line spoken by fictional Alice, 'Adults carry round an umbrella even when there isn't a cloud in the sky.' I looked in my bag and I had an umbrella on a sunny day - life can take away the positive and fun nature of childhood but theatre can bring us back.  I took my umbrella out of my bag! This theatre trip had an influence on me just like it would have many others.  It also inspired me in my inquiry search - to bring stories to young people through theatre.

I picked out a couple of quotes that I found interesting from Jane Grahams piece in the programme that examines why the stories of Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland are so iconic even now:

'Both are notable for lack of moral piety, still rare in children's literature and a source of escapist thrill to readers of all ages.  Both exhibit an almost baffling affinity with the real experience of childhood, the kind adults can usually only access through children's diaries and sketches.  And perhaps most significantly of all, both pang with a melancholy truth that weighs more heavily on parents with each passing year, and children sense as encroaching peril that can not be be avoided, no matter how far or fast they run.'

'Barrie once wrote 'Nothing that happens after we are 12 matters very much.'

Jane Graham, Peter and Alice Production Programme, 2013

Hollie xx