Through your window - May 12
Beautiful Richmond Theatre, where Peter Pan was first performed
Peter Pan statue in Hyde Park - maybe it all comes to life at night...
The 20th May show in Islington and release of the double single Enter the Night (re-mixed) / 'Til these Eyes on 21st May are both supporting the charity Childline.
Enter the Night was originally an instrumental piece, but the vocals now added were in part inspired by the Peter Pan story. J M Barrie's brother died before he had the chance to grow up, so in a way he became the inspiration for the boy Peter Pan who never achieved adulthood. Proceeds from the story and play are sent in perpetuity to Great Ormond Street Hospital for children. It felt important for me to support a children's charity, which deals with many issues ranging from abuse to illness.
I've always loved the story of Peter Pan, which ridicules abusive characters like Captain Hook and turns lost children into heroes. An empowering idea! The celebration of the world of imagination also contains the theme of a magical land beyond the stars where children's dreams become a reality, and a liberating chance to fly above the rooftops of London as a bonus. Luckily I've often had flying dreams myself, where gravity no longer held me down to the restrictions of every day existence. Some of these night flights were transformed into lyrics in songs such as Camino Royale and Sleepers.
Most poignant is the last part of the story where Wendy grows up, but Peter Pan remains a child, and so their existences diverge. You feel something of the sadness that Barrie must have felt at the loss of his brother, plus the sense of mourning for your own childhood... the boy or girl who from that time onwards can only live as a part of your life.
Hopefully through the song and the charity we can once again connect with the wonder of childhood, how important it is not to rob a child of the joy of expression and imagination, as well as the value of our inner child that both cries and flies...
Magic of youth - Big Ben with Peter Pan and Wendy in flight | Ravages of time - Big Ben clock through branches at night
Pirate ships and reptiles - Fear faced through the wonder of a child's imagination
