Honk!JR

Honk!JR was a new one for me, I knew it was based on The Ugly Duckling story but that was all I knew. From the moment I stepped into Harpers theatre space I was mesmerised- the fully dressed set designed and constructed by Mat Hepplestone and his team at Red Floral Architecture was an absolute vision, I believe he was asked for a few reeds and grasses but his imagination and flair took over and The Drama Dept definitely got more than a few reeds and grasses! It worked well throughout the whole production and added a definite air of authenticity. The kitchen was fairly simple - drawn images were stretched then printed , a table was well used in the scene. Props were quite minimal but handled competently and confidently. Costumes were fabulous and all designed and made in house by Janet Newcombe, I noticed that within all the groups of birds , no two were ever the exact same. The use of different fabrics to show texture and depth was interesting and fresh, the occasional flash of a sequin sparkle that caught my eye was like the flash of bright feathers on a mallard duck in nature - very well thought out and very cleverly reproduced.

Sound throughout was very good, no gremlins at all, no late mics, no dropped cues, no feedback. Levels were nicely balanced for both dialogue and vocals. The lighting plot was imaginative, using all manner of colour floods, it was exciting and created some great shadows as it was projected up or through the reeds and grasses, the colour washes were pertinent to the scenes portrayed and added another level of atmosphere.

The ensemble were very hard working and it was very obvious that they were a team on stage. To say that there were such a lot of children on the stage at any one time, because of the way that they had been placed by their Director (Gary Jones) it never looked over crowded and I could clearly see every face. In Harpers , the audience are very close but this did not phase any of the cast, they all had their chins up, looking out and projecting both vocals and dialogue while delivering to the front, when speaking to each other in character conversation they kept themselves angled well so that the audience could see facial expressions and hear perfectly. 
The six little ducklings ( Louis Jones-McCaw,Lana Hallam, Jasmine Messham, Layla Penny, Brodie Robson and Scarlett Bailey) all possessed the cute factor and delivered their separate personalities well, they were precocious and demanding, it was evident that they had a full grasp of their characters. I was made aware later that for some of them it was their first time on stage in front of an audience, I can assure you that there were no signs of nerves, these ducklings are obviously made of strong stuff.

Olivia Small as Ida was motherly and gentle, her exasperation with Daniel Eccles (Drake) as she sat on the nest was very funny and well played out. The chemistry between the two of them was evident and they both gave strong performances. Olivia's vocals were fantastic, she has an incredible tone and beauty to her voice, I look forward to watching her expand her craft over time. Daniel really brought out Drake's comedic and chauvinistic side while also showing us Drake's fatherly side by stepping in to look after the ducklings when Ida goes looking for Ugly. Both Olivia and Daniel had good stage presence, pace was very good throughout the whole production. Ava O'Connor as the sparkly ,bright green bullfrog had us eating out of her hand as soon as she appeared, she gave a full bodied, physical performance with some superb diction and delivery. Her comedy timing is spot on, she certainly knew how to work an audience. Rosie Robinson as Penny was simply beautiful, I knew before she had even uttered a word that she was a swan, her whole demeanour was regal, gentle and elegant. Even her head inclinations seemed elongated and graceful, when she delivered her dialogue it was clear and measured, very unhurried and assured - exactly as I would imagine a swan to be. Isobel McConnell as ugly put a lot into her performance, the childlike ( not childish) exuberance as a cygnet/duckling was lovely and her characters bigness and clumsiness on stage was portrayed in a very natural manner. She retained her characters naivety even while being prepped as "duck a l'orange" for dinner by the scheming cat played excellently by Beth Moran. Beth brought sass, verve and cunning with all her dialogue, again she had a very physical performance and was quite slinky with her movements, all her head and body movements were very allusive to a cat playing with its prey. She blasted out some strong vocals and gave great face to the audience. 
Director Gary Jones had obviously taken a lot of time with the young cast to ensure they were all comfortable and confident within their characterisations.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show, thank you for the parking space and your hospitality, I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

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