Finding Neverland
James I don’t have another play.
Charles You will, won’t you?
James We’ll see.
Man Need you to sign for the storage, Mr Frohman.
James It was never meant to be taken seriously.
Charles You know what happened, James. They changed it.
James Who changed what?
Charles The critics, they made it important. Huh. What’s it called? What’s it called?
James Play.
Charles Play.
Boys Bang, bang, bang, etc
Jack Return the boy to us you nasty Indian.
James Our people teach boy Indian ways, make him great warrior, our chief ‘Running Nose’ never let him go.
Boys Bang, bang, bang, etc
James Me wounded, Peter. Time’s short. You go, spread wings and soar like eagle above enemy. Fly back to our chief, tell him of my brave defeat.
Peter That’s crazy, Indian’s can’t fly.
James ‘Course they can, go on, go on, go on.
Jack Listen to us boy, this Indian kidnapped you.
James Not true! Me kidnap no-one. You ‘lost boy’. I teach you ways of the brave. I take you as my own son.
Peter You are not my father.
Boys Bang, bang, bang, etc
Jack I’ve got him.
Peter Let me go!
George Stop it you two.
Jack Ooh, we are awful, aren’t we?
Peter I’m warning you.
Jack Ooh, I’m scared. Wants to have a bit of fun for a change.
George Stop it you two.
Sylvia Jack! Peter.
James I’m terribly sorry.
Sylvia Oh, it wasn’t your fault.
James Afraid it might have been.
Sylvia To be honest, I’m just happy you got him to join in the game.
James Oh yes, I was a tremendous success.
Sylvia Mr Barrie, it’s more than I’ve been able to achieve. Peter’s a different boy since his father died. I don’t think he’s even had a good cry about it.
James Well, grief affects us all in different ways, doesn’t it?
Sylvia Yes it does.
James Oh, by the way, my wife would like to invite you and the boys over to dinner, erm, your mother as well.
Sylvia Oh, how kind, that would be lovely.
Mary Well, don’t you all look lovely in your little suits? And Mrs DuMaurier, what a shame it is that we’ve not met until this evening.
Mrs Du Maurier How kind of you to say so.
Mary Not at all. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to a charity, or a. . . social event, and seen your name listed among the Stagehands. It’s the very thing I would love to do myself, if I could just find the time.
Mrs Du Maurier My problem is in finding the time to do everything else. At the moment I’m running two households. Sylvia believes she can get by without a housekeeper.
Sylvia Mother!
Mrs Du Maurier My house is quite large enough for us all, but the idea of living with me seems. . .
Sylvia Not now please mother.
George We help her keep the house in order.
Mrs Du Maurier Don’t interrupt, George. Where did you get your manners?
George Sorry, Grandmother.
Sylvia Well. . .
Mrs Du Maurier Mr Barrie, I understand you’ve become playmates with my grandchildren.
James Oh, they indulge me really.
Sylvia On the contrary. The other day we took to an exploration of Darkest Africa in our garden. Till Mr Barrie was taken ill by the bite of a. . . What was it?
James Tsetse fly. Quite horrible.
Jack Yes, and he swelled to the size of a hippopotamus.
Michael Fingers like sausages!
George And we had to float on him down the river, like he was a. . . a great bloated raft.
Jack But the fishing was good, wasn’t it?
Mary James. Please.
James Sorry. Bye.
Mrs Du Maurier Thank you so much.
Mary Bye.
Mrs Du Maurier Pleasant.
Mary A lovely evening.
George Bye.
James Thank you. Night.
Mary Night.
George Night.
Mary Well, that was a disaster.
Mrs Du Maurier Painful, utterly painful to see.
Sylvia Don’t know what you mean, I had a lovely time.
Mary Oh, James, please, “My problem is in finding the time to do everything else.” I’ve never felt so judged in my life.
James Judged? What do you mean?
Mrs Du Maurier A grown man, for heavens sake, playing all day long with children?
Mary In any case, I hardly think they’ll be the social contact we’d hoped for.
James I hadn’t really thought of them that way, just enjoy their company.
Sylvia He’s been a good friend to us, mother.
Mrs Du Maurier Yes, but what does that mean?
Mary Surely you don’t intend to keep spending your afternoons with those children, do you?
James So today, ladies and gentlemen, using only the wind and his own physical strength, George Llewellyn Davies will test the very limits of the atmosphere using his tethered craft. Go on, boy.
Sylvia Go on, George.
Jack You’re gonna break it, George.
Michael George, stop.
George Just needs a bit more speed.
Michael I want to do it.
James Hold off a bit, George. I think it’s in need of a tail.
Sylvia Oh, wait. Here, James, this will do.
James That’s a good idea.
George No, it’s not heavy enough.
Michael I want to do it.
