ABSTRACT
Early stage versions were an opportunity to hone the more complex and abstract elements of the play, as the stage set for Never Land, and performance, allowed for exploration of character. The actor playing Hook is the most prominent representative of the adult on stage in this play, and du Maurier’s performance was integral to making Peter Pan engaging for cross-generational audiences. Peter Pan was translated to the stage by Dion Boucicault, linked to the playwright not only through previous collaborations but through a sustained friendship intensified by the closeness of J. M. Barrie and Irene Vanbrugh. In casting Peter Pan, the decision had been made to use an adult for Peter. The peculiar individual pathetic charm which Miss Boucicault gave to the character is changed to something which is more like the pathos of the very idea of childhood.
