Dunstan Playhouse. 16 Jul 2013
As with her earlier smash hit children's books The Gruffalo and the Gruffalo's Child, this Julie Donaldson/Axel Scheffler creation is a big hit in the world of children's books so it has legions of little fans absolutely at the ready for a touring stage show.
The only thing the well-read children don't know is the cast - but this is soon remedied; the actors meandering through the aisles and mingling with the audience as it settles in pre-show. This is a lovely idea since it provides small children with an opening to the fourth wall and a tactile connection to the concept of live theatre.
This company has carved something of a niche with these plays over the past few years and it has the formula down pat. It is absolutely low-tech and low-budget. Strong actors are its strength. In this production, Morag Cross directs the seasoned cast of Stephen Anderson, Josie Cerise, Crystal Hegedis and Damien Warren-Smith.
The set is some ghostly tree trunks. The costumes are fairly basic, the cat with only pigtails for ears and a token tail. Five-year-old expectations seemed appeased and the verdict decreed it "cute" and "a bit funny". The other animals are presented as very good puppets, especially the dog which is adorable and achieves a snuggly and perky personality. The frog is decidedly Sesame Street but with a magnificently accomplished singing voice. The bird is green.
The tale tells of a witch flying off on her broomstick with her cat on a mission to fight a dragon. In trusty narrative tradition, she meets some characters along the way and they join in on the trip until the broomstick is extremely loaded. They have a wee adventure and the new friends help the witch when she meets the dragon. The hungry dragon is the one and only costume character - and a wonderful, vivid red one which generally thrills the house.
But the show could do with a bit more costume; the cat, for instance. Despite the hearty, upbeat acting the show as a spectacular suffers somewhat by being dwarfed on the great big Playhouse stage. Hence, there are a few patches in its 55 minutes wherein it loses child attention and the auditorium turns into a writhing mass of restlessness. This may be momentarily punishing for parents but, for the children, it's just a wriggle and lolly break. They leave the theatre high on the pleasure of the living experience and entirely uncritical. Their post-mortem discussions revolve rowdily around who they liked best. The witch, as it turns out, because "she had a wand and cast spells". And where can we get a "onesie sleeping bag" like the one onstage. Where, indeed.
Samela Harris
When: 16 to 20 Jul
Where: Dunstan Playhouse
Bookings: bass.net.au
