Queering Peter Pan
Queering Peter Pan
But there's something about Peter Pan and his story that inspires many queer retellings, and I wanted to delve into that part.
One could argue that Peter Pan has always held a distinct queerness, largely down to the early casting decisions for the stage play.
Yes, the original work written by Barrie was written as a stage play.
Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, was a 1904 play.
The same story was then written as a novel, Peter and Wendy, in 1911.
I was fortunate enough to see stage plays of Peter Pan a couple of times growing up, which is an experience I would wish for anyone as it's such a magical, wonderful story.
And, most importantly for baby queers, it was certainly one of my first, I would call, soft exposure to queer rep.
Why is that?
Well, the part of Peter himself was traditionally always played by a woman.
Above image from the 1924 silent film, Peter Pan, where Peter is played by Betty Bronson.
The first actress in the role of Peter Pan was Nina Boucicault, below, onstage in 1904.
At the time of production, children were not allowed to perform onstage after 9pm.
An adult man was deemed unsuitable for the role of Peter Pan so, instead, the more pantomime approach of a woman in the role of a man onstage was used.
Though, it must be pointed out, Peter Pan was never a pantomime, it was a stage play.
Sadly it is rarely performed these days in its original form. More often, it is only onstage now as a Christmas pantomime with an adult cis man in the role of Peter. (Boo, hiss!)
I'm forever grateful that I saw with my own young eyes, a stage production of Peter Pan as it was originally intended, with the Dark Fantasy elements taken seriously and, at times, quite scary for a child. (I loved it!)
One scene that stands out to me in memory was Peter and Wendy stranded on a lagoon rock (just before the curtain closed for, presumably, an interval). The two actors, both women, dramatically embraced one another in a moment of impending danger.
This Peter isn't like the boys I know, my young brain focused on.
This Peter is androgynous, and pretty, and...
Cue heart eyes!
Allison Williams as Peter from Peter Pan Live! (No, this isn't the version of Peter I saw, but probably a close resemblance in vibe and style? These photos are stunning!)
From a young age, I always loved seeing androgyny presented in media, and also any subversion of (rigid, white, western) gender roles/gender norms. Gender androgyny in Peter Pan was no exception.
Clearly, something in Peter Pan speaks to a number of queer folks out there, too, as his story keeps on being told and re-told through a queer lens even now.
I sense there's a type of longing we associate with Peter Pan and his story; his freeze framed eternal youth, the absence of his adolescence (something that I think many of us queer, trans, non binary and gender non conforming folks can relate to in some way) and even the distant longing for adulthood.
I remember the first time seeing a live action Peter Pan in Hook, and thinking, yes, this is on the right track for Peter: androgynous, like a fae child, and masc leaning.
(I had to wait until 2003 for an entire film of that vibe!)
Peter Pan (2003), and my favourite poster. Probably because we can't see Peter's face in this image, which allows us to use our imagination more. The vibe is spot on: androgynous fae child. I love this image so much.
Peter himself is often portrayed as a boy frozen in time, on the edge of becoming something else, or someone else, something more; and that part, I believe, is what lends a perfect jumping off point for exciting new queer takes on his story.
I have three, queer Peter Pan retellings to recommend to you today, starting with:
Lost Boi by Sassafras Lowrey
A Peter Pan retelling with a kink scene twist on the original tale.
Summary:
In Sassafras Lowrey's gorgeous queer punk reimagining of the classic Peter Pan story, prepare to be swept overboard into a world of orphaned, abandoned, and runaway bois who have sworn allegiance and service to Pan, the fearless leader of the Lost Bois brigade and the newly corrupted Mommy Wendi who, along with the tomboy John Michael, Pan convinces to join him at Neverland.
Told from the point of view of Tootles, Pan's best boi, the lost bois call the Neverland squat home, creating their own idea of family, and united in their allegiance to Pan, the boi who cannot be broken, and their refusal to join ranks with Hook and the leather pirates. Like a fever-pitched dream, Lost Boi situates a children's fantasy within a subversive alternative reality, chronicling the lost bois' search for belonging, purpose, and their struggle against the biggest battle of all: growing up.
Peter Darling by Austin Chant
A queer retelling that acts as a sequel to the tale we already know.
Summary:
The Lost Boys say that Peter Pan went back to England because of Wendy Darling, but Wendy is just an old life he left behind. Neverland is his real home. So when Peter returns to it after ten years in the real world, he’s surprised to find a Neverland that no longer seems to need him.
The only person who truly missed Peter is Captain James Hook, who is delighted to have his old rival back. But when a new war ignites between the Lost Boys and Hook’s pirates, the ensuing bloodshed becomes all too real – and Peter’s rivalry with Hook starts to blur into something far more complicated, sensual, and deadly.
A queer retelling with sapphic longing.
Summary:
What happens when Tinker Bell is in love with both Peter Pan and Wendy? In this sparkling re-imagining of Peter Pan, Peter and Wendy’s granddaughter Hope Darling finds the reclusive Tinker Bell squatting at the Darling mansion in order to care for the graves of her two lost friends after a love triangle gone awry.
As Hope wins the fairy’s trust, Tink tells her the truth about Wendy and Peter—and her own role in their ultimate fate.
Told in three alternating perspectives—past, present, and excerpts from a book called Neverland: A History written by Tink’s own fairy godmother—this queer adaptation is for anyone who has ever wondered if there might have been more to the story of Tinker Bell and the rest of the Peter Pan legend.
I hope you have enjoyed this queer foray into the land of Peter Pan!
And remember, you must always believe in fairies!✨️✨️
Signing off,
C. Quince.
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