Peter Pan's gift to children continues with a sequeal
For well over a century, a Christmas staple for children across Britain has been an annual trip to theater to enter a magical yuletide world of villainous pirates, diaphanous fairies, and dashing heroes. But few have realized that a simple seasonal excursion to see one of Britain's best-lved Christmas plays, J.M Barrie's "Peter Pan", has almost 80 years benefited thousand upon thousands of sick children.
Now a sequel, Peter Pan in Scarlet" is set to continue in good work.
Peter Pan , lovable, mischievous boy who never ages and fliers with the help of fairy dust, is known to generations of children around the world in a number of guises: Some Prefer Disney's cute 1953 animated version: others, Robin William's disenchanted grown-up Peter in "Hook".
Most favor the darker original tale, in which Peter rebels against adult world as petulant and stubborn as Pan himself. Many also know the story behind Peter Pan's creation through Johnny Depp's 2004 performance as its diminutive, retiring author, James Matthew Barrie, in the movie "Finding Neverland.
But there's another side to the story of Peter Pan, one that, like its acclaimed author has remained largely hidden from the public view.
Though nowadays almost solely known for "Peter Pan", J.M. Barrie was, in the early 20th century, a major playwright more renowned than such illustrious contemporaries as George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde. He also had a profound love for children, and on befriending a family of five young brothers, created Peter Pan as a story to entertain them.
The character soon evolved into a play, first performed to rave reviews in London on Christmas 1904. In the United States, too, it quickly achieved stellar popularity. After an initial run in New York just before Christmas 1905, it embark on a nationwide tour so highly acclaimed that Mark Twain remarked, "the next best play is a long way behind it. In 1911, Barrie transformed the play into a book, the first editions of which flew off the shelves.
"Then, in 1926", relates Christine De Poortere, director of the Peter Pan project at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, "Barrie was asked by the Great Ormond Street Hospital to give a series of public lectures to help raise funds.
The Hospital, founded in 1852, survive on private fund raising, mostly carried out by middle class ladies and was the only children's hospital of its day.
"Ah want to know more? we will continue next page later. "
Now a sequel, Peter Pan in Scarlet" is set to continue in good work.
Peter Pan , lovable, mischievous boy who never ages and fliers with the help of fairy dust, is known to generations of children around the world in a number of guises: Some Prefer Disney's cute 1953 animated version: others, Robin William's disenchanted grown-up Peter in "Hook".
Most favor the darker original tale, in which Peter rebels against adult world as petulant and stubborn as Pan himself. Many also know the story behind Peter Pan's creation through Johnny Depp's 2004 performance as its diminutive, retiring author, James Matthew Barrie, in the movie "Finding Neverland.
But there's another side to the story of Peter Pan, one that, like its acclaimed author has remained largely hidden from the public view.
Though nowadays almost solely known for "Peter Pan", J.M. Barrie was, in the early 20th century, a major playwright more renowned than such illustrious contemporaries as George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde. He also had a profound love for children, and on befriending a family of five young brothers, created Peter Pan as a story to entertain them.
The character soon evolved into a play, first performed to rave reviews in London on Christmas 1904. In the United States, too, it quickly achieved stellar popularity. After an initial run in New York just before Christmas 1905, it embark on a nationwide tour so highly acclaimed that Mark Twain remarked, "the next best play is a long way behind it. In 1911, Barrie transformed the play into a book, the first editions of which flew off the shelves.
"Then, in 1926", relates Christine De Poortere, director of the Peter Pan project at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, "Barrie was asked by the Great Ormond Street Hospital to give a series of public lectures to help raise funds.
The Hospital, founded in 1852, survive on private fund raising, mostly carried out by middle class ladies and was the only children's hospital of its day.
"Ah want to know more? we will continue next page later. "
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