Neverland is everywhere. The story of Peter Pan, the boy who never wanted to grow up, also fascinated Leonard Bernstein. His musical score Peter Pan for orchestra, choir and two soloists (Wendy and Captain Hook) forms the basis of the family-friendly dance piece staged in Görlitz by outgoing ballet directors Dan Pelleg and Marko E. Weigert with their company. The intriguing combination of dance theatre and sung roles, whereby the story is told entirely through dance rather than dialogue, works superbly and captivates audiences of all ages, from grandchildren to grandparents.

The Neue Lausitzer Philharmonie, conducted by General Music Director Ewa Strusińska, whose tenure also ends at the end of the season, performs the illustrative and highly gestural, dance-like music in a spirited and evocative manner. The conductor makes full use of the variety of expressive means at her disposal and conducts confidently without impeding the flow of the performance.

The ballet ensemble blends well with the soloists Brieann Pasko (Wendy) and Buyan Li (Hook) and the choir to form a cohesive unit, guided by the choreographers with a wealth of humour and beautiful innovative movements. Some of it is more pantomimic in nature, other parts draw on modern dance movement patterns, and then again, playful, almost acrobatic figures are woven in. Gilda De Vecchis as Tinker Bell falling asleep on an oversized chair and writhing in and around it is a highly entertaining piece of showmanship. Filippo Nannucci is also rivetingly boyish in the title role.

Pelleg/Weigert relocate the story to the dormitory of an orphanage with a motherly governess and a very strict headmaster, who sometimes dishes out punishment with a soup ladle and drags an overly unruly boy out of the room by his ear. It is precisely this boy who later slips into the role of Captain Hook, with a spoon monocle as an eye patch and the soup ladle as a grappling hook hand.

This happens when the children, inspired by their bedtime story, re-enact the adventures of Peter Pan with their abundant imagination: they build a cabin out of their beds, erect a mast from wall panelling, use bed sheets as sails and place a laundry basket filled with teddy bears at the top as a crow's nest. This wonderfully versatile stage design with receding perspectives and colourful fantasy costumes we see replacing the drab, uniform nightwear, is the creative work of Markus Pysall. At some point, the walls become permeable and the children from the other dormitories come across and eagerly join in the fun.

Perhaps the varied plot and the many unconventional actions detract somewhat from the subtle solemnity and deeper longing that the text and music also contain. But time flies like Peter Pan, you can dream and take off into a fantasy world, even if you are long since grown up, and let yourself be carried away once again into a world where everything can be solved through play.

Where else but in the theatre could this Neverland be found? It is truly a play for children of all ages, young and old. The audience was enthusiastic and gave a long round of applause at the premiere.