Finding Nemo Jr

Many thanks for inviting me to view your Youth Theatre production of Finding Nemo. It was lovely to be back to your theatre and receive a warm welcome. Finding Nemo JR is a 60-minute adaptation of the original Disney Pixar film from 2003. The length of the production made it ideal for the younger members of your Youth Theatre with the enthusiastic cast ranging in age from 4 to 13.

This production like many children’s shows before contains themes which subconsciously the children in the cast explore. Those of family relationships, bravery, overcoming fear, belief in oneself, overcoming disability and friendship. It follows the journey of an anxious father determined to find his son and the colourful characters he encounters along the way all delivered with great songs.

The auditorium was lit in blue and bubbles which gave the audience a feeling of being underwater. The stage was set with niches both left and right with lifebuoys all ready to be thrown out and on stage left a depiction of a wooden fence joined with ropes, an ideal place above the sea for your actor to sit and have their food taken by the seagull although it was great to see her foil him at his last attempt. In the centre on the lower stage was what looked like a fluorescent orange coral bed (this did confuse me because I thought he lived in an anemone), the home of Marlin, Coral and Nemo. In the background there was a curtain with images of jelly fish and hanging centre stage a sign with the name of the production emblazoned on it. It was great to see that you were able to make use of the large jellyfish hanging either side of the stage from ‘The Little Mermaid’ they certainly added to the atmosphere during musical numbers. I liked the depiction of the different levels and structures on the seabed on the upper stage although it did seem a little dark in places. The planted aquatic images and the cut cloth around the proscenium arch added detail.  The Aquarium was well managed with cloth, painted structures and porthole. The net that was flown in was very effective. The props that were used were well manged by the cast I especially liked the diver’s goggles and the little umbrellas jellyfish. The stage crew worked seamlessly in costume to change the sets.

The lighting and sound were controlled from the back of the hall with follow spots on a platform at the back. The blue lighting created a calm underwater feel. The change when the tank was dirty was good and the transitions between scenes good. The backing tracks and radio mics were set at a good level for those using them and the majority of young cast members without them had been trained to project their text and delivery their song lyrics.

The costumes were imaginative, well-fitting and colourful. It was lovely to see that time had been taken to ensure specific partnerships or groups were depicted clearly. The orange stripy tights and glasses on Nemo and Marlin, the gangster like outfits with trilbies for the sharks and Hawaiian shirts, lays and shells for the turtles all added to the production. All the individuals were well dressed and the headdresses added context and showed a variety of sea creatures seen in the performance.

You are very fortunate to have such a talented director and choreographer who has the ability to bring the best out of all your youngest members. It is not easy working with a cast of over 40 young people but she makes sure that they all shine on stage from the youngest to the oldest.  There were smiles galore and great interaction between the players and they all knew their dance moves and harmonies. She must have great satisfaction watching the children progress from the youth theatre through the ranks, I know I have over the performances I have seen.

The actor portraying Marlin played the role with assurance. ‘He’ was able to capture the concern, worry, love and over protectiveness of a father caring for his only son following the tragic loss of his wife Coral. He had to find courage and determination to travel the ocean and learn to trust others.  ‘His’ vocals were strong and interaction with others was excellent.

Your player depicting Nemo the clownfish with a ‘lucky fin’ and a craving for adventure gave an outstanding performance. ‘He’ moved around the stage with ease, delivered text expressively and ‘his’ vocals were on point.  ‘His’ facial expressions were brilliant; he found strength within by finding new friends and it was great to see his determination to return to his father. The good relationships with the rest of the cast were great to view. ‘Where’s my Dad’ was delivered will lots of feeling.

Coral was only on stage for a little while but she showed her love for Marlin and determination that her eggs would be protected no matter what the outcome to her would be.

Nemo was extremely excited to leave his coral home and go to school where he met his classmates. Pearl was very agile, looked wonderful and made full use of her tentacles. She spoke with a clear voice and made friends with Nemo. Sheldon created a good character who taunted Nemo to swim beyond the reef and Tad was a little quiet but knew his part and backed Sheldon up. The actor depicting Professor Ray was able to clearly annunciate his text. He created a caring, enthusiastic teacher who encouraged all his pupils.  Pearl, Sheldon and Tad’s parents were animated when they spoke to Marlin in well projected voices. ‘In the Big Blue World’ was well presented with lots of movement and great singing.

The cast members who were charged with moving around the scuba diving mask moved with ease and knew exactly where and when they needed to be when the text referred to them.

The young lady playing the blue tang with short term memory loss, was wonderful. She brought so much character to her portrayal. Her frenetic movements around the stage were great fun to watch, she brought warmth and humour in spade loads, created a wonderful friendship with Marlin and sang with confidence. ‘Dory’s Ditty’ was brilliant.

A shiver of sharks swam onto the stage all looking ready for business and sang ‘Fish are Friends not Food’ with fervour. It was great to be able to hear all the lyrics and see their well-rehearsed dance moves. The young man playing Bruce the great white shark created a strong character and sang tunefully. He was determined to toe the line until he smelt Dory’s blood when his natural instincts took over.  Chum and Anchor were Bruce’s two friends tyring to live a vegetarian life. Their characters had been clearly defined and they both sang well. The routine was great to watch with lots of comic timing some based around the smallest one.

Your well attired seagull kept popping up when food was around and swooping in with ‘Mine, mine, mine’ and stealing it except when the actor who was eating got wise to him and hid it away. Both parts may have been smaller than others but were well presented and added detail to the performance.

Next, we find Nemo in a tank in the Sydney Harbour Aquarium. This tank contains a wide variety of different species. Gill, whose fin was different too, was the inspiring leader who is determined to free all of them back into the sea. ‘He’ devises numerous plans to bust them out and thinks Nemo will be able to facilitate his newest one. Your player created an excellent character with clear dialogue and a powerful singing voice ‘We Swim Together’ was beautiful.  Bubbles has very little text but was fully involved in the singing and dance number and showed her care for Nemo.  Bloat the pufferfish looked great and knew her words and movement, just practice speaking up a little. Gurgle was nervous about new fish that appeared in the tank and liked keeping the tank clean she knew her dances and spoke clearly. Peach the starfish was more down to earth and reassuring who delivered her words and moved well. They were all part of a great team who supported Nemo as a unit and complemented each other.

The young man playing Nigel the pelican, who acted as their ears and eyes to the outside world certainly looked the part with his oversized beak. He had a great stance and clear diction.

The turtles all looked grand in their ‘aloha attire’ and brought vigour to the stage. Crush the 150-year-old turtle surfer dude was portrayed as laid back, knowledgeable and in charge. He delivery ‘Go With the Flow’ with great vocals and attitude and passed on great child rearing tips to Marlin. Squirt showed no fear when trying out new adventures. Breeze, Kaj and Sea-Turtle added detail and vocals to the scene.

This was the once-a-year performance when the youngest members of you group have their chance to shine and they certainly did.  Each and every member was beautifully dressed, knew their lyrics and dance moves and have developed good stagecraft. The themes of family, friendship, courage, celebrating differences and overcoming fears are central to the show and they were demonstrated brilliantly. Many congratulations to all both on stage or behind the scenes. Many thanks for a lovely afternoon’s entertainment.

Disclaimer 

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what he sees at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance and it is inevitable that his assessment will be affected by that knowledge. 

The NODA Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular, the performance.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre. 

 It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

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