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‘HOOK IS FRIGHTENED OF YOUTH BECAUSE IT REMINDS HIM HE’S GOING TO DIE SOON’ Hitlist THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE*
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Finding Neverland
As the National Theatre of Scotland mounts its biggest production to date, Kelly Apter discusses the enduring appeal of Peter Pan with Hook actor Cal MacAninch
As a mountain rescuer on the TV show, Rockface, Cal MacAninch scaled heights, clung to mountain sides and battled the elements. Yet according to the Glasgow-born actor, playing Captain Hook in the National Theatre of Scotland’s new production of Peter Pan is ‘the hardest job I’ve ever done’.
Brimming with aerial work, acrobatics and dynamic sword fights, the show aims to give audiences a thrilling ride through JM Barrie’s fantasy world. Inevitably, however, the cast has picked up a few sore muscles along the way. ‘It’s a very physical show and we’ve done a lot of aerial training,’ explains MacAninch. ‘But I’ve only got one hand because of the hook, which has put a lot of strain on my other arm. So physically it’s been really tough, but it’s also incredibly exhilarating. And I’m pretty sure that when everyone gets to see it, we’ll be flying – literally.’
Barrie’s early 20th century tale may be filled with ‘awfully big adventures’, but it’s also a multi-layered text tackling two of humanity’s biggest storylines: love and death. Taking on the dual roles of family man, Mr Darling and deliciously wicked pirate Captain Hook, MacAninch was surprised to find the hidden depths within Peter Pan. ‘I had no idea just how rich this story was until we started working on it,’ he says. ‘It’s extraordinary – the myths of childhood, growing up, how parents have to let go of their children – it’s all in there.’ As for Hook himself, MacAninch has discovered a complexity to the character belied by his devilish exterior. ‘Peter is like a child because he’s so in the
moment it’s almost like being immortal,’ he says. ‘Whereas Hook is always contemplating life and waiting for the crocodile – his fate – to arrive, and I think that’s really interesting. Hook is frightened of youth because it reminds him he’s going to die soon, so we’ve been exploring his relationship with mortality.’
MacAninch is just one piece in a talented jigsaw the National Theatre of Scotland has assembled. Adapted by multi award-winning playwright David Greig and directed by Olivier Award winner John Tiffany, Peter Pan also benefits from a 17-strong cast and music from Black Watch composer Davey Anderson. With so many versions of Peter Pan floating around, from Barrie’s initial short story to his hugely successful play and subsequent films, Greig’s first job was to clarify which story they were telling. Now re- imagined in Victorian Edinburgh, Mr Darling works as an engineer on the construction of the Forth Bridge. But as far as MacAninch is concerned, the join between Greig’s words and the original text is seamless.
‘I can’t tell which words are David’s and which are Barrie’s,’ he says. ‘It’s an amazing piece of work and David has done an incredible job enriching the text – it’s beautiful to speak as an actor and great fun to play. It’s a huge show with everybody working really hard together, and if people think they’ve seen Peter Pan, they haven’t seen anything yet.’
Peter Pan, King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 23 Apr–Sat 8 May, then touring.
✽✽ Forest Fringe Micro Festival Showcase of new and challenging works from the organisers of the Forest Café’s annual fringe-on-the-Fringe. See preview, page 84. Arches, Glasgow, Fri 16 & Sat 17 Apr. ✽✽ Mish Gorecki Goes Missing Skye Loneragan’s play for young people focuses on a young girl who goes missing to attract the attention of her troubled family. See preview in Kids, page 60. Tron Theatre, Glasgow, until Sun 25 Apr. ✽✽ The Cherry Orchard Eagerly awaited translation of Chekhov’s tragicomedy by legendary Scottish playwright John Byrne. See preview, page 85. Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh, Fri 16 Apr–Sat 8 May. ✽✽ The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? New production of Albee’s funny, bizarre late play. See preview, page 84. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 17 Apr–Sat 8 May. ✽✽ The Ministry of Fear Theatre Alibi adapts Graham Greene’s atmospheric Blitz-set wartime drama for the stage. See preview, page 85. Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 20–Sat 24 Apr. ✽✽ Les Misérables One of the most successful musicals of all time arrives at the Playhouse at part of the London production’s 25th anniversary tour. See preview, page 84. Playhouse, Edinburgh, Tue 20 Apr–Sat 15 May. ✽✽ Peter Pan The National Theatre of Scotland mounts an ambitious adaptation of JM Barrie’s classic. See preview, left. King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 23 Apr–Sat 8 May, then touring. ✽✽ The Glass Menagerie Tennessee Williams’ classic study of failure and delusion is reimagined by Shared Experience and the Salisbury Playhouse. See preview, page 85. Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 27 Apr–Sat 1 May. 15–29 Apr 2010 THE LIST 83