KENSINGTON GARDENS - Peter Pan

The Doodle-doThe ticking stops. Hook composes himself. He sends Skylights to fetch the whip. Moments later a terrible shriekof death is heard followed by a strange crowing noise. Cecco enters the cabin, emerging immediately withnews of Skylight’s death. Hook orders him back to fetch the terrible thing lurking in the cabin. Cecco goes inreluctantly, we hear him cry out followed by the crow of the “doodle-do”. Starkey leaps overboard rather thango in after Cecco. Hook and Smee usher the Lost Boys into the cabin to fight the “doodle-do”, they, of courseknowing it’s really Peter, feign reluctance. Hook and Smee hide as the Lost Boys and Peter emerge carryingwhatever weapons they can find. Peter frees Wendy, wraps himself in her cloak and waits in her place, lettingout a triumphant shriek. The Pirates believe the boys have been killed and decide to throw Wendy overboard.As a woman, she has brought bad luck to the ship. Peter reveals his true identity – a fight ensues. All thepirates are killed and Peter squares up to fight Hook. He gets the upper hand and Hook drops his sword, Peterpicks it up and, instead of killing Hook, hands it back to him in a gesture of fair play. Hook realises that PeterPan is everything that he is not: youthful, joyful and priceless. They fight on, but Hook has lost hope. He rushesinto the cabin and emerges having lit a bomb in the cabin to blow up the entire ship. Peter dashes into thecabin, emerges with the smoking bomb, throwing it overboard. Hook knows he has lost. In defeat, he leapsfrom the ship, into the jaws of the Crocodile. The children sail the ship home.THE NURSERYWaitingMrs. Darling is asleep on the chair and Nana is asleep on the floor. They wake up to the sound of cheering fromthe street below. Out of the window they see the taxi bringing Mr Darling home. There’s a knock at the door, acabbie and his friend enter carrying the dog kennel with Mr Darling inside. Since the children disappeared, hehas been living in the kennel, as a form of penance and has attracted celebrity status. He asks his wife to playhim the piano, and he asks her to shut the window to stop the draught coming through. She refuses, remindinghim it must always be left open for the children. As she begins to play, Peter flies through the window withTinkerbell, baring the window from the inside, so that Wendy will think her mother doesn’t want her back. As heleaves he sees Mrs Darling crying at the piano; he doesn’t quite understand what the tears are but he knowsshe is missing her children. Although he wants Wendy to return to Never Land with him, he realises that MrsDarling’s need is greater, so he unbars the window and flies away with Tinkerbell.The children returnThe children land on the window ledge and enter the room. Michael doesn’t remember their old life very well.They notice their father sleeping in the kennel and watch their mother playing the piano. They hide in their bedsto surprise her. Mrs Darling enters the room, ignoring the beds, and goes to the chair by the window. She cansee the children in their beds, but is convinced it’s only her mind playing tricks, so she doesn’t turn round tocheck. One by one the children call to her, she stretches out her arms, as she has often done in her dreams.This time her children run into those arms and she is overjoyed. They hug each other and their father, who begstheir forgiveness, and finally Nana joins them barking her approval. The Lost Boys enter through the door. Theyhave been waiting downstairs as Wendy told them to. The Darlings agree to adopt them all. Mr Darling happilyleads all the children, apart from Wendy, out of the Nursery for hot chocolate. Wendy flies out of the windowas she has seen Peter hovering outside. Mrs Darling stays to watch. Wendy asks Peter if he has anything tosay to her parents. Perhaps she’s angling for a proposal, but typically, Peter has no idea what she means. MrsDarling pops her head out of the window and asks if Peter wants to be adopted like the other boys. He saysif it means he will have to grow up, go to school and get a job then he doesn’t want to. He asks Wendy if she14