ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY ANNOUNCES FULL CAST FOR WENDY & PETER PAN AT THE BARBICAN
- LOLITA CHAKRABARTI RETURNS TO THE LONDON STAGE AS MRS DARLING IN RSC ACTING DEBUT
- HANNAH SAXBY AND DANIEL KRIKLER TO MAKE RSC DEBUTS AS WENDY AND PETER PAN WITH CHARLOTTE MILLS AS TINK
- THEY JOIN THE PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED TOBY STEPHENS AS CAPTAIN HOOK IN ELLA HICKSON’S MAGICAL ADAPTATION OF JM BARRIE’S CLASSIC NOVEL
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The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) today announce full casting for the London premiere of Ella Hickson’s exhilarating take on JM Barrie’s beloved classic, Wendy & Peter Pan, directed by Jonathan Munby, opening at the Barbican from 21 October to 22 November 2025 with press night on 28 October.
Joining the previously announced Toby Stephens as Captain Hook/Mr Darling, will be Lolita Chakrabarti as Mrs Darling, Daniel Krikler as Peter Pan, Charlotte Mills as Tink and Hannah Saxby as Wendy.
Director Jonathan Munby said: “I am delighted audiences will be travelling to Neverland with Ella Hickson’s remarkable Wendy & Peter Pan. Bringing this production to the Barbican with such an exceptional company is both a privilege and an enormous creative joy. We have assembled an extraordinarily talented and diverse group of artists, each of whom will bring their own imagination, skill and courage to meet the challenges of this ambitious piece. Wendy & Peter Pan demands emotional truth, physical daring and a strong sense of ensemble, and I could not wish to embark on this journey with finer collaborators.”
Lolita Chakrabarti will play Mrs Darling. Her previous RSC work includes writing the adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel Hamnet which premiered at the Swan Theatre before running in the West End and is set to tour in the USA in 2026. Lolita’s previous theatre work includes: Summer 1954 (Bath Theatre Royal and tour), The Hunt (St Ann’s Warehouse, New York), Hamlet (RADA), Fanny & Alexander (Old Vic), John Gabriel Borkman (Donmar Warehouse), Free Outgoing (Royal Court)
Television includes: Silo (Apple), Screw, Born to Kill (Channel Four), Vigil, Showtrial (BBC), The Wheel of Time (Amazon), The Casual Vacancy (BBC1/HBO), Delicious (Sky), Beowulf, Jekyll and Hyde (ITV), Riviera (Sky), Criminal (Netflix).
Playwright credits include: Red Velvet, (Tricycle Theatre, London, St Ann’s Warehouse, New York and London’s West End - Most Promising Playwright awards from the Critics Circle and Evening Standard), Booker Prize winning novel Life of Pi for the stage (Sheffield Crucible, West End, Boston, Broadway, UK, US and international tour - 5 Olivier Awards including Best New Play, 3 Tony Awards, 4 UK Theatre awards and more). Other writing credits include Hymn (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and Almeida), Invisible Cities (MIF/ Brisbane Festival), dramaturgy of Sylvia (Old Vic) and Message in a Bottle (Peacock Theatre/US tour).
Daniel Krikler will play Peter Pan in his RSC debut. Daniel’s previous theatre includes: Fiddler on the Roof (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre / Barbican West End transfer), Austenland (Savoy Theatre), Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet (Donmar Warehouse), The Motive and The Cue (National Theatre Productions), The Book Thief (Leicester Curve), The Secret Life of Bees (Almeida Theatre), The Tempest, Macbeth (Guildford Shakespeare Company), Fighting Irish (Belgrade Theatre), The Normal Heart (National Theatre), Pippin (Charing Cross Theatre), 4000 Miles, Present Laughter (Old Vic); Unicorns, Almost (Bristol Old Vic), Homos, Or Everyone In America (Finborough Theatre), Pink Mist (Bristol Old Vic/UK Tour), Jersey Boys (Dodger Productions), Mamma Mia! (Novello Theatre), Bare: A Pop Opera (Union Theatre); Loserville (Garrick Theatre & West Yorkshire Playhouse). His film and television work includes: The Halcyon (Leftbank Pictures for ITV).
Charlotte Mills will play Tink. She previously performed the role in the 2013 and 2015 productions of Wendy & Peter Pan at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and has also performed with the company in The Winter’s Tale. Other theatre work includes: Doncastrian Chalk Circle (National Theatre/CAST Doncaster), Love’s Labour’s Lost, Much Ado About Nothing, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Gabriel (Globe), The Country Wife (Chichester Festival Theatre), Abigail’s Party (Theatre Royal Bath Productions), Merlin (Royal and Derngate), Therese Raquin (Theatre Royal Bath), Jerusalem (Royal Court/West End/Broadway), By Jeeves (Landor Theatre), Billy Liar (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Old Vic 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic), Theatre EP (Hightide/Latitude), Paradise Lost (Southwark Playhouse), Iphigenia (Crucible Theatre). Television includes: Small Prophets, Doctors, Casualty, Dodger (BBC), Malpractice, Protection, The Moorside, Doctor Thorne (ITV), A Very Royal Scandal (Prime), Behind Her Eyes, Letter for the King (Netflix), Agatha Raisin (Sky One), The Bastard Executioner (FX). Film includes: Wilhelm Tell, Daddy Issues (Short), The Apology (Short), I’m Here (Short).
Hannah Saxby will play Wendy Darling in her RSC debut. Her previous theatre includes: The Crucible (Globe), Some Demon (Arcola Theatre and Bristol Old Vic), Julius Caesar, Playhouse Creatures, Earthquakes in London (Richard Burton Theatre Company). Television credits includes: Gentleman Jack 2 (BBC / HBO), Holby City, Doctors, Shakespeare & Hathaway (BBC), Malory Towers (CBBC). Film credits includes: The First Two (Cinesuper / Umbrella Collective).
The full cast comprises: Joe Anthony as Shadow, James Berkery as Shadow, Kazmin Borrer as Shadow, Lili-Evangeline Bryden as Shadow, Lolita Chakrabarti as Mrs Darling, Harrison Claxton as Shadow/Doctor/Crocodile, Christopher Jeffers as Peter’s Shadow, Joe Hewetson as Martin the Cabin Boy, Scott Karim as Smee, Alexander Kranz as Shadow, Daniel Krikler as Peter Pan, Max Lauder as Slightly, Meg Matthews as Swing Shadow, Charlotte Mills as Tink, Kwaku Mills as Michael Darling, Alexander Molony as Tom Darling, Kyle Ndukuba as Tootles, Guy Rhys as Doc Swain, Hannah Saxby as Wendy Darling, Hadley Smith as Knock Bone Jones, John Sodiq Akanmu as Skylights/Swing Shadow, Toby Stephens as Captain Hook/Mr Darling, Ami Tredrea as Tiger Lily, Marcello Walton as Murt the Bat, Fred Woodley Evans as John Darling, Tom Xander as Curly.
The full creative team comprises: Director, Jonathan Munby; Set and Costume Designer, Colin Richmond; Choreographer, Lucy Hind; Composer, Shuhei Kamimura; Sound Designer, Christopher Shutt; Lighting Designer, Oliver Fenwick; Video Designer, Taiki Ueda; Fight Director, Terry King and Casting Director, Annelie Powell CDG.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Bethany Arnold (Senior Publicist), bethany.arnold@rsc.org.uk
Olivia Scull (Media Relations Officer), olivia.scull@rsc.org.uk
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Wendy & Peter Pan
By Ella Hickson
Adapted from the book by J.M. Barrie
Directed by Jonathan Munby
Barbican Theatre
Tuesday 21 October – Saturday 22 November
Press Night: Tuesday 28 October at 7pm
Tickets from: £25
Box Office: www.rsc.org.uk Tel: 01789331111
Captioned performance: Saturday 8th November, 1.30pm
Relaxed performance: Saturday 15th November, 1.30pm
Audio described performance: Saturday 22nd November, 1.30pm
Post Show Talk: Friday 14th November
Follow Wendy on an awfully big adventure as she journeys far from the safety of the Darling’s nursery, taking centre stage in her quest to find the key to her parents’ forgotten happiness – the child they once lost, and discovers how the power of just one happy thought can set flight to newfound joy.
With Peter Pan, fairy Tink and Tiger Lily as her unlikely allies, Wendy gives the Lost Boys a run for their money as she takes on the diabolical Captain Hook, brought to life by RSC Associate Artist Toby Stephens (Oslo, Hamlet) in this ‘spectacular’ (Guardian) staging and ultimately learns what it really means to grow up.
This production of Wendy & Peter was originally presented by Bunkamura Theatre in Tokyo and Leeds Playhouse.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The RSC is supported using public funding by Arts Council England
The work of the RSC is supported by the Culture Recovery Fund
The RSC is generously supported by RSC America
With thanks to Season Supporter Charles Holloway OBE
Wendy and Peter is supported by RSC Production Circle member Peggy Czyzak-Dannenbaum
RSC £10 Tickets for 14-25s supported by TikTok
The RSC Acting companies are generously supported by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation
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