Windmill Theatre. Space Theatre. 22 Nov 2014
Perched high upon his hilltop home, Grug sees a rainbow across the sky and tries his best to find it. The closer he gets, the further it seems, but luckily Grug has us to help him find his very own rainbow.
In Windmill’s second adaption from Ted Prior’s series of picture books, ‘Grug and the Rainbow’ draws from several of his stories (including the title book) to bring the much-loved character and his friends to life.
It is performed by Jude Henshall, Nathan O'Keefe & Ellen Steele, who all act both as narrators and puppeteers. They work together like a well-oiled machine, with consistent transitions and movement, whilst still giving each character their own little touches. O’Keefe’s puppetry is particularly lovely, and his vocal utterances as Grug climbs the hills in search of his rainbow and whilst he snoozes in the sun at the beach raise lots of laughs.
Jonathon Oxlade’s cleverly designed set is delightful, featuring three “hills” that are functional but also provide great levels and depth. Each of the hills contains trapdoors that allow peep views into Grug’s home and Snook’s burrow, as well as hidden LED lighting, used deftly to represent the colours of the rainbow.
The numerous puppets, designed and made by artist Stephanie Fisher, are absolutely superb. From the moving parts of his bicycle, to his skis and his workshop tools, you cannot miss the craftsmanship and quality of every piece. The use of different sized puppets in background and foreground compliments the set and provides the kind of thoughtful touches that make this production far more than your average children’s show.
The non-traditional soundtrack, provided by DJ Tr!p, is unexpected yet well-fitted to the wonderfully quirky performance.
‘Grug and the Rainbow’ is amongst the best children’s theatre you will find; don’t miss this gorgeous show.
Nicole Russo
When: 19 to 30 Nov
Where: Space Theatre
Bookings: bass.net.au
