Do you remember the first time you heard or read the story of Peter Pan? I know that I must have read it as a kid, but I have no clear memory of that first time. I was probably quite young, and I've read, seen, and heard an enormous number of adaptations and expansions of the story since then. Epic Immersive's newest production, Neverland, is the latest take on this classic tale, one which explores the darker side of the Boy Who Never Grew Up.
Spoiler alert: There are mild spoilers here, though I try to avoid going into the story too much. Neverland closed on July 22nd.
We wait in a small room, 12 of us, fidgeting a bit. There are recruiting posters on the walls, encouraging people to do their part and join the war effort. A woman with a clipboard emerges from around the corner and greets us cheerfully. "You're the new recruits, right?" We nod, glancing at each other. She divides us into 3 groups of 4 (based on the tracks we selected when purchasing tickets, although it's described more cleverly that than in context), and we're off to Neverland!
Neverland starts off charming, as we meet Tink and her friend, an airship operator who takes us to the island (in a completely fantastic set piece). We meet a mermaid (lovely but deadly), Smee (goofy and earnest), and the Lost Boys (brave, silly, and utterly adorable). It's clear through these encounters that things aren't quite what they seem in Neverland, but it's not until the Lost Boys send us into the Forest of Shadows that the story takes a clear turn for the dark. We spend the rest of the time, sometimes alone or in small groups with actors, sometimes as a larger group of 12, figuring out what's really going on with Peter Pan and the island.
I found the story to be engaging and interesting, and the weaving movements and plot lines make the show worth returning to. My husband and I saw it twice, doing all 3 tracks between us. Even when we were on the same track, we were separated for brief periods and had unique experiences. There were bits that he learned that I never saw, and vice versa. That gave us lots to talk about as we tried to piece together the whole story! I found this to be the most complex story of the shows I've seen from Epic Immersive this year, and I thought it was quite well done.
The acting, as is always the case with Epic Immersive, was fantastic. The characters were believable and engaging throughout, both in their interactions with each other and with me. I found myself rooting for them all (except maybe the mermaid), even when it was clear that some of them had made terrible choices. The sets for Neverland were detailed and very fitting, especially the airship. It made me want to stay and play longer, which alas, was not an option. I hope that future productions give us some time to really take in the surroundings, which clearly had a lot of thought put into them.
As mentioned above, Neverland closed last weekend. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a remount!