A flying scene from Peter Pan written by James M. Barrie (1860-1937) and first performed at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London, on 27 December 1904.

   A flying scene from Peter Pan written by the Scottish playwright James M. Barrie (1860-1937) and first performed at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London, on 27 December 1904.

After the success of the original performance of Peter Pan in 1904, it toured every year for the next decade

   George Kirby had worked with the German troupe, the Grigolatis, whose flying effects needed four stage hands to raise and traverse one performer. Kirby was convinced that his system could be less cumbersome and in 1889 developed the first pendulum flying system with quick-release mechanism. One of the earliest productions for which Kirby supplied equipment was J.M. Barrie's play Peter Pan at the Duke of York's Theatre in 1904. Audiences were delighted when Wendy and her brothers were able to fly with Peter from their London home to Never Never Land. 

1907 production of Peter Pan, using Kirby’s apparatus.

The programmes for Peter Pan written by James M. Barrie (1860-1937) and first performed at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London, on 27 December 1904.

   The programmes for Peter Pan written by the Scottish playwright James M. Barrie (1860-1937) and first performed at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London, on 27 December 1904.

   J. M. Barrie had first conceived of the character of Peter Pan some years before it first appeared in the novel The Little White Bird in 1902, and the story of Peter and Wendy was then developed for the stage as Peter Pan: or, The Boy who Wouldn’t Grow Up. The play was first performed at Duke of York’s Theatre, London, on 27 December 1904 in a technically-ambitious production (which many thought was doomed to failure), and Peter Pan began its run somewhat uncertainly. After a couple of weeks, however, it gained an admiring juvenile audience that ensured large audiences until it closed on 1 April 1905, and the play ‘broke all previous theatrical records and proved Barrie’s most enduring success.’ 

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