Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up, grows up. Peter Pan: Twinkle in Time follows Dean Robinson as Peter, who finally accepts that he’s aging.
Internally, he claims that he will always be that child but now taller, older and wrinklier. Confused about his identity, lost in labels and where he belongs, Peter is off to explore today’s society while trying to find his lost “twink” and find his new “fag hag”.
Robinson’s personality lands loud and proud, his storytelling as Peter reframes the familiarity and that we should not judge a book by its cover. From the long misconceptions between his rivalry with Captain Hook, Mr. Smee and the pirate crew to his relationship with the Lost Boys, The Darling Siblings and later Wendy’s daughter, Jane.
Fully embracing his character Peter, Robinson lead the audience through a series of side quests in his search for his lost twink. Identity, appearance and the physical changes that unfold over time. He touches on different topics with a grain of pixie dust, he moves across themes from the queer community, the racial undertones in the Peter Pan tale, and the love for the different versions of Peter himself. Robinson stitches past and present together through fiction and lived experiences, although it was rough at the seams, he was honest in his delivery, creating a very grounded retelling.
With a small musical number, a funeral and direct crowd engagement, the show tipped into chaos in the funniest ways. Robinson had a game show style faceoff between two audience members which pulled everyone else into the absurdity through shared knowledge and rapid-fire answers.
An impromptu act followed, selected by the Melbourne audience from three randomly selected cards which could be found upon entry, inviting each attendee creative input. The results of these cards formed a collection of possible scenarios that Robinson could perform. From his apparent love for gag balls in the club, to his not so questionable favourite drink of choice – cum. The madness rose only as far as his audience’s imagination.
As the show moved on and traced Peter’s journey through the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, and into the 2020s, the rhythm settled and the ideas began to connect. Through decade defining trips, Peter tracks lessons learned in the real world and recounts his happier memories. He clings to his twink status while spiralling into a long delayed midlife crisis, marked by a new look, fashion reset and an identity shake up – Peter is one for the vibes.
With time pressed close and Peter is racing forward to reinvent himself whilst searching for his new fag hag, it’s a wonder who will win – Peter the boy who never grew up or Peter the externally aging boy.
As someone who’s not all in with the lingo, I had to admit the start of the performance was a hit and miss with several jokes taking time to register. But maybe, that’s just because I’m not in the same scenes as Peter. It’s probably instead a swipe left if I was on Grindr, but I’m here to cheer you on Peter. When in doubt, get that ‘d’! The answer is always ‘d’.
Dean Robinson’s storytelling stays light, playful and at times questionable by choice, but Robinson was still able to pull his audience close through the humour and timing. Keeping topic changes quick and heavier themes light, Peter Pan: Twinkle in Time conjured bursts of laughter which carried through the room and had everyone well entertained.
Peter Pan: Twinkle in Time by Dean Robinson is now flying through Melbourne’s Theatre Works (Explosive Factory) as part of the Midsumma Festival. Catch Peter’s final dance before returning to Neverland before the show closes on Sunday 24, January 2026.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.theatreworks.org.au/2026/peter-pan-a-twinkle-in-time
https://www.midsumma.org.au/whats-on/events/peter-pan-twinkle-in-time
https://www.instagram.com/deanwrobinson
Photography by Noam Cohney.
