Peter Pan: It's Behind You!

It's panto season again! Having an interest in J.M. Barrie I initally chose Peter Pan to cheer us all up. However, I soon discovered this tale has a darker side as it may have been inspired by the death of Barrie's brother in a freak ice-skating accident. David really was the 'boy who never grew up'. The fairy tale also owes its genisis to the so-called 'Lost Boys', the five sons of Arthur and Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, to whom Pater Pan is dedicated. Orphaned in 1910, Barrie at last secured the family he desired. The origins of the 'terrible masterpiece' have certainly contributed to Peter Pan's mythic status!