One of the classic children's stories comes to life this summer when Ickle Pickle Productions brings Peter Pan the Musical to Belconnen Theatre. And there will be some respectful changes along with the traditional elements that have made the story beloved for more than a century.

It's a 1985 British adaptation of J.M. Barrie's 1904 play about the boy who refused to grow up. Peter Pan (played by Josh Kirk) brings the Darling children Wendy (Emily Pogson), John (Jack Morton) and Michael (Joss Kent) to his home on the island of Neverland. He's head of the Lost Boys and has an ongoing battle with the pirate leader Captain Hook (Greg Sollis), who's been out to get Peter since the boy cut off his hand in a duel and a crocodile ate it.

Anita Davenport is making her directorial debut with the production but is bringing a wealth of theatrical experience both on and off stage – she's acted, designed sets, and been a production manager, among other roles – to the task as well as some ideas to make this Peter Pan fresh as well as traditional.

The story is the familiar one – although the original Red Indians are now Neverland Natives – and Peter Pan's friend, the fairy Tinker Bell, is represented by a moving light, as is customary. But in this production the actor playing Captain Hook is not also playing the Darling children's father as is traditional. Instead, Patrick Galen-Mules, who plays Mr Darling, is doubling as Hook's boatswain, Mr Smee, and Sollis, who plays Hook, is also seen as the Darling family's valet.

While this is partly to give Galen-Mules, 18, more to do on stage, it also ties in with Davenport's conception and gives this Peter Pan its own psychological underpinnings.

"In this production, Mr Darling is not an all-empowered ogre," she says – Mrs Darling (Deanna Gibbs) is more of an authority figure in the household – so it makes sense he is represented by a more subservient character in Neverland, Smee. The Darlings' valet, "the stern one in the background" for the children, is the character who is transformed into the dark adult figure of Hook in Neverland.

Sollis says the valet will have a sinister tone to him and Captain Hook in this production will be "very pompous and very British ... He does have a grand vision only he can see, which I quite enjoy."

While Hook has a comic side to him – he takes himself terribly seriously but is faintly ridiculous – there's also a edge to him in his obsession with destroying Peter Pan.

Davenport says one of the reasons Barrie's story has endured – being a familiar part of the culture even to people who've never seen or read it – and inspired so many adaptations is its deep psychological aspects and possibilities. She thinks Peter may have willed the pirates into Neverland himself – "it's a childhood fantasy to want to play at pirates".

Sollis played one of the Lost Boys in a production of Peter Pan when he was in Year 6, his first public performance. Since graduating from university he's done many other shows.

"When the opportunity came up to audition for this I had such great memories – that's where it all began," he says.

He says three-quarters of the cast of nearly 40 is made up of teenagers of varying levels of stage experience – as is usual with Ickle Pickle shows – with a few more seasoned adult performers among them, like him.

"I'm just supporting them," he says, "contributing to their experience. I want them to have the same experience I had doing Peter Pan."

While the title role is often played by a girl. Davenport has cast 19-year-old Kirk, whom she says brings the mischievous character to vivid life: "He has a wonderfully fey, puckish humour."

Kirk began acting while a student at Hawker College, appearing in the musicals Fame and Hairspray. This is his first lead role. Being slightly older than some Pans, he's playing Peter as an adolescent who's resisting the transition to manhood..

He says: "It's a lot of fun ... I want to ramp up the rough and tumble aspect. He doesn't know how to deal with his emotions. If he feels something he shows it. He doesn't bring any of the nuances an adult brain would have."

Being a young adult himself, Kirk says he has been able to bring a lot of elements from his own life into the characterisation.

"I'm at the stage of making adult decisions and sometimes want to run and hide from them. Peter Pan gives you the chance to explore that side of yourself, to be a kid and run wild with that."

But it's not all about noise: the story, and the character, have their poignancy, too. Kirk says, his own favourite number is his last, Don't Say Goodbye.

"It closes the show – it's not quite as energetic as all the other songs."

Creating the fight choreography is Lachlan Ruffy, who learned stage combat during his three years in the acting course at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. He's working with Kirk and Sollis on their duelling – Pan's rapier and dagger versus Hook's cutlass and hook. For the battle between the natives and the pirates, he worked with the young performers to make use of their individual talents and physicality.

"A lot of the kids had strong dance training," he says. This meant he was able to incorporate their specialities – such as splits and walkovers – into the choreography.

"It will be a spectacular fight."

And what about the rest of the production – for example, how will the crocodile be created? And will Peter Pan fly? The director and her cast and collaborators don't want to give too much away, wanting to leave an element of surprise and discovery for audiences. But, Davenport says: "There's definitely magic in it. Nobody will be disappointed."