Open Forum

I don't know if this is a common thing to do over on this side of the Atlantic, but I have rarely seen/heard of Peter being cast as a boy in the production. Usually it's a girl with slightly androgynous features, but not always. That might be in adult productions, though, where that would make sense to cast a boyish looking woman in the part. Could it work for high school? Probably.

Peter is traditionally played by a girl, so you only need guys for Hook and Mr. Darling (they could be the same actor?).  Everyone else could be girls dressed as guys if necessary.  When we did it, it actually attracted quite a few boys with the pirate roles.

It depends on the production. The Stiles and Drewe musical, which I'm currently directing/producing is clearly written for a male to play Peter Pan. I selected this version in order to showcase my male triple threat who graduates this year. While I have a number of boys in my program, not enough to be gender specific. So I made the choice to use my boys as pirates and girls as lost boys. I think for a small stage, I suggest relying what the Joe Mantello once said is the greatest set piece there is: the audiences imagination. That is as much in the spirit of J.M. Barrie's vision as a large elaborate set with special effects and fly systems.  

1) Flying - I'm not sure how "small your stage is.  I have performed straight play & musical on stage 39' x 25' and 3' of wings & flew Peter, Wendy, Michael, & John.  I would recommend calling the fly companies and give them your stage dimensions & let them help you.  While I used "Flying by Foy" the last time I did Peter Pan, most recently I have used "ZFX" for flying and they are VERY helpful and easy to talk to.

2) Peter - easily played by a girl.  My most recent Peter was a "pageant" girl who took on the mannerisms and walk of a boy.

3) Smee - have also cast as a girl & with make-up and costume and her ability to take on the mannerisms of a guy - we fooled the audience.

1. The flying can be avoided. We had to due to insurance issues and our school district. We had Peter, played by a young girl, appear in he window sill of the nursery and leave out of the window a lot. We used a light to show tink flying and then she would appear from time to time on stage.

2. Don't worry about how many boys you have. Our Captain Hook was played by a girl with a booming and amazing brassy voice. Even our lost boys were girls. People bought it and were put on a great production. Save your boys for Dr. Darling, Smee, and maybe the lost boys if you want.

Hi Lisa

As the owner of a flying company, I fly a great many Peter Pans and almost all are played by females, so I will echo the comments of our colleagues in that you are very safe to do that.

As for flying, I will also echo the earlier comments about contacting flying companies just to see what is available for you.  In the smaller spaces, I usually find I do not need a track, so the cost for the show is a lot lower.  Foy, ZFX, and Vertigo (former Hall Associates) are all great companies and will work with you to provides the best effects for your space and budget.

I hope this helps :-) 

Warren Wilson College did a production of Peter Pan in which the flying was done on heelys, those shoes with wheels in the heels.  There was this lovely sigh of pleasure from the audience when Peter first spread his arms and coasted across the stage.  I was surrounded by children who loved it.

Peter is usually played by a girl, so save your boys for Michael and John and/or Mr. Darling/Captain Hook.  When I did the straight version,  I, too had very few boys.  In fact, there was no one who could do a decent job of Mr. Darling/Hook, so Mrs. Darling played Hook.  No one knew until she showed her hook (a Kitchen Aide pastry hook) at curtain call.  Almost all of the Lost Boys, Pirates and Indians were girls as well.  (One of the pirates was a swimmer who was rather muscular;  we painted tattoos on panty hose legs and, again, no one had a clue he was really a girl!)  

We had a HUGE debate about flying, but spent all our $$ on an awesome set instead.  They flew to music, dancing down our handicap ramp and through the audience. It was magical!  No one missed the wires!

Be creative/inventive and have fun!

I really struggled with how to fly Peter, knowing our audience has high expectations. Finally, out of desperation, I had a Mom make me three puppets for Peter and the kids, less than life-size, and mounted them on long black sticks. Kids in black carried these puppets through the house as if they were flying. . . over the heads of the audience. Each night of our run the effect won an ovation.