Two is the beginning of the end ...

I have been re-reading J.M.Barrie's 1911 prose version of Peter Pan - Peter Pan and Wendy - which was published seven years after his play was first performed on 27 December 1904 at The Duke of York's Theatre.

The opening is quite stunning in its philosophical narrative, dramatic tension and creation of suspense, and relates to our Beauty and the Beast experience in that Barrie's story has become, curiously, synonymous with theatre experiences at Christmas.

I last directed a version of Peter Pan, by Piers Chater-Robinson, at Easter time, 2004, with the Jersey Arts Centre's youtheatre; and, before that, as an open-air, promenade, community production at South Hill Park in July 1997.

The actors who played both Captain Hook and Peter Pan in the latter are now on their own awfully big adventure, and thus these two original versions remain poignant.

Here's that opening:

"All children, except one, grow up. They soon know that they will grow up, and the way Wendy knew was this. One day when she was two years old she was playing in the garden, and she plucked another flower and ran with it to her mother. I suppose she must have looked rather delightful for Mrs Darling put her hand to her heart and cried, ‘Oh, why can’t you remain like this for ever!’ This was all that passed between them on this subject, but henceforth Wendy knew that she must grow up. You always know after you are two. Two is the beginning of the end."