Honk! / My Son, Pinnochio

After months and weeks of rehearsals, plus hard work, the society’s youth (and there were loads, and loads, and loads of them!) finally took to the stage to show their audience the fruits of their endeavour! In doing so, we got two totally different musical shows from two totally different age groups, and the talent on show was immense. From the very small ones, to the older cast, each and every person played their own personal part on the stage and enjoyed themselves in the process. “Honk” told the story of the Ugly Duckling, and there was a tender moment to see when the young ducklings hatched and emerged from their eggs looking smart in their bright yellow costumes. Ugly found himself in despair, shunned by his family, but eyed up by the nasty Cat as appetising food! Ugly and the Cat were both outstanding performers, as were Ugly’s mother, Ida, and father, Drake. Escaping from the clutches of the Cat, Ugly goes through a series of adventures meeting many characters – the Flying Geese Patrol, captained by a super Greylag; then there was a terrific Bullfrog; a serene swan; a terrible snow blizzard; until . . . the big happy ending . . . Ugly turned into a beautiful swan - and we all went “Aaah!” In the Pinocchio show sequence, we met all the famed characters – a first class Pinocchio and Geppetto, who was helped by the Blue Fairy and her Fairy entourage to grant Geppetto’s wish – to have a real, live son!  And we all know the adventures that followed Pinocchio – meeting the ambitious puppeteer, Stromboli; the adventures with the child-making machine; Pleasureland; well-known animals making the wrong sounding noise; until finally, inside the big whale. It all came good at the end and there was fine rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star”. There was energy, passion, gusto, and enthusiasm emitting from every single youngster. And, at the final curtain call, both casts joined together and totally filled the stage making a superb sight. Yes, the future of Amateur Theatre is safe here in the city.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.