Pinocchio

This is a much-loved story that seems to enthral younger audiences.  In this case the editing had been well done and the whole script was cohesive and flowed really well.  There was very clear evidence of good planning in the production.  The cast and crew were well organised and well disciplined, the show was well planned for exits and entrances and the casting worked a treat!  I really enjoyed the unusually young dame and the way that Pinocchio was played, both by puppet and actor.   There were a lot of good ideas here, with the exchange of puppet for actor being particularly ingenious.  There was a lovely contrast between the fairies in pink and Wicked Wanda in black and green.  The scene inside the whale was great fun!

The scenery for the production was excellent, and included some lovely comic details, such as in the opening village scene.  There were many very good and believable characters in the show, with everyone playing well and interesting in interesting ways.  This produced a coherence to the performance that worked very well.

Lighting and sound did well, with the travelling spotlight used to good effect. Just occasionally the sound cues needed more care, but overall these technical aspects added greatly to the visual spectacle.  The reverberation of the sound for the whale scene was most effective.  The music was well played and supported the singers and action nicely without overpowering the voices.  The costumes were bright and colourful, with the dame’s dresses not too big and flouncy and Gepetto looking - and sounding – truly Swiss. 

The cast did very well in performing this show, with so much comedy in many aspects well delivered.  The difference in size between Trick and Tease was used to very good effect, as was the difference in character of the fairies. The characterisations from everyone were very good but it was the cohesion of the cast and their interactions that made this such a memorable show.

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