Peter's Pants

In this acerbic and rhythmically chaotic subversion of J.M. Barrie’s quintessential myth, 'Peter’s Pants' dismantles the saccharine veneer of Neverland through the lens of early cinematic burlesque. Rather than a celestial boy who refuses to age, the film presents a titular character—portrayed with a manic, gender-bending energy by Elsie Davenport—whose refusal to conform to the sartorial and social rigors of the Edwardian era manifests as a series of slapstick rebellions. The narrative eschews the traditional fairy-tale trajectory, opting instead for a fragmented series of vignettes that mock the gravity of the nursery. Davenport’s performance is a masterclass in kinetic irony, utilizing exaggerated pantomime to lampoon the very concept of the 'eternal youth.' The film functions as a celluloid middle finger to Victorian domesticity, replacing the magical dust of the original with the gritty, physical comedy of the music hall tradition.