Meanwhile Hickson emphasises some of the deeper, darker themes in Barrie’s story: here the Darling children are all adopted and there’s a fourth sibling, Tom, who dies early in the narrative. The Neverland adventures acquire a purpose as Wendy searches for Tom, yearning to mend her traumatised family: it seems the fantasy world is how the Darling children come to terms with loss. There’s also a nod to the way a new location prompts many of Shakespeare’s characters to find themselves.