Review: Wendy and Peter Pan, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford

A couple of minutes into the action last night, one of the Darling kids whacked another in a pillow fight and a child's giggle erupted from the stalls, setting the tone for a play which works on two levels. It makes kids laugh. It makes grown-ups cry.

For the children there's a riotous feast of slapstick, fights and bum jokes. For the adults there is the unbearably sad story of a little boy who dies of a fever and his sister Wendy's search for him in Neverland. Little Tom is found but he can never return home, and if you don't blink away a few tears you must have a heart of pure tungsten.

For everyone, young and old alike, Jonathan Munby's production offers some spectacular flying sequences and glorious special effects. You've barely got over the magic of Peter Pan's cabin rising from the RST stage than Captain Hook's enormous pirate ship sails in from the wings.

Mariah Gale is a perfect, frenetic Wendy, the non-stop, fearless stand-out hero who drives the boys to feats of glory and endearingly combines leadership with being rubbish at fighting.

Peter Pan, as played by Rhys Rusbatch, is a magnificent enigma. He is brave yet selfish, and unreliable, torn between childhood and maturity. I bet Barrie himself would have loved this complex and convincing characterisation.

But the most memorable star is Darrell D'Silva as a strangely urbane Captain Hook, unspeakably evil with flashes of humour. No wonder Pirate Smee (Paul Kemp) is in love with him and dreaming of a chintzy little cottage together when all these pesky boys have been killed. Like the flying, it went straight over the children's heads.

Wendy and Peter Pan is at Stratford until January 31.

By Peter Rhodes