New-York tribune., 1905-01-08
LONDON DRAMA.
4 Barrie for Children of An 4ges
Drnry Lane Pantomime.
London. Decem,,o- 90

LONDON December 2s.
Mr.. Barrie's new triumph is over time ana con-
ventlons. ne mas written play for children of
81 sses Whlen creates a new fairvIand of e,or,,
book for imaginative boys and girls and renepvs
the youth OF gray haired plaveoers ..x,o..-,
Pan" at the Duke Of Yorl's pines 70, -
and It is the sweet music OF The Ist,ls ,K-,,+o
Bnd"-She paradise Of the lost chusran -
have winged their flight from happy homes s,s
been mothered in fairy realm The ,o,,a,,oo
Of the island IN Kensington is not dra,,,ti-aa
but the fairy boy and the raotherly little girl
wendy are taken out of ii. and the stories yvhic,
they told about pirates and redskins are so4os
cut In this way dainty. gossarner NAV eve,
more beautiful than the book is made mn and
parents who have lost their white birds loo,r -,
-1th moist eyes and wonder what adventures
their children may be having far aleld among
Che rainbows and whether they will eyer a
hack through the open windows OF home II ts
not 3 sad play. although there is an ,ndar+or,o
Of pathos in it for sensitive ears and sorroyvf,I
hearts. 1t is a joyous revel in the 'Never-neyor-
never Land" where the fairy lights flicker on the
walls and the fairy bells are eyer tinkling
eweetly; where the wolves bark the ostrich nat
ters behind boy with flute, the crocodile IS
out 10 sleep with music and the cat crawIs ont
Of Dayy Joness Locker; where Esquimals and
sedskins prowl about and pirates are lurking
among the trees. and where Peter Pan resents
Che advances Of an Indian beauty. and is con-
tent 10 remain little boy without growing ,,o
M Barrie alone could have written this tender
fanciful little romance Of lost children; and how
fresh and original II is. Year after year een-
Grafton after generation. there have been nan
forninaes and plays for children at holiday time
yet never before has there been piece at all like
fhis-so quaint so simple. so pure and so true To
child nature Mr.. Barrie is a magician. who
breaks away from all the conventions Of fnane
harleounade and vulgar pantonarne, and teaches
Ms 10 look upon the world with the ewes Of
chHd as real story book, beginning and ending
with q mothers love.
The fantasy opens in the Darling nursery
where the walls are papered with coIored prints
from Christmas numbers and the rnantel is
Imported By dolls. The only occupant is a huge
Cog. Mana, who satisfies herself that the cots are
empty and brings in the children of the house
hod-Wendy and TWO brothers The mother
Mss Dorothea Baird-comes in TO frolic with
thera and 10 pat them to bed: and the father
Air Gerold du Maurier. plays tricks with them.
pretending 10 take medicine and being caught
bv the dog. Out Of resentment the elder Oar
ling orders the dog TO be chained up outside the
house and the children are left alone in the
nursery, with the window open. Before long
there are fairy lights on the ceiling and bells
IRE tinkling in the air. and while the dog is
barking outside Peter Pan flies in. arrayed in
autumn leaves and cobwebs. and hunting for
his shadow, which he left behind on a previous
visit. While he is fastening it on with soap
the children wake up and are told stories about
his delightful home, where boys who have fallen
out Of perambulators have found a refuge. The
fairy boy, Miss Nina Boucicault, teaches them
how 10 fly and out of the window the three little
nghtgoWned figures follow him on the Grigolati
wires.
In the next act there are scenes from
life in ''Never-never-never Land" where a
house has TO be built for wendy who is the only
girl around and has to mother a troop Of boys
They have a home under ground, which they
reach by climbing into hollow trees, and crawl
ing out under the roots; and here they dance
and have pillow fights and are safe so long as
Peter is with them. Above them is a wicked
world, where redskins and pirates are plotting
against their peace; and the Esquimaus alone
are TO be trusted. One intrigue fails because
Tinker Bell, fairy IN love with Peter, swaI-
lows the poisoned medicine designed for him;
and as the tinkle grows faint and the lights