Pinocchio

From the moment we entered the picturesque Woodend Gardens on a sunny bank holiday Monday afternoon we were welcomed and made to feel at ease, which is no mean feat in a non traditional theatre environment. The cast really should be commended for not only being in character from the moment the audience arrived but for engaging the younger members of the audience in conversation before the show started, which is not always an easy task!   The characters according to the programme (which I will get back to) were introduced as minstrels, one for each colour of the rainbow, dressed accordingly, and I overheard many animated conversations between the cast and the audience members about whose ‘team’ the audience was on based on their outfits. As the show progressed the beautiful and era appropriate outfits were cleverly used as a base to portray the various characters; for instance the Blue Minstrel became the Blue Fairy and the Green Minstrel became the Cricket. Fun touches were included such as a bright purple curly wig for Geppetto which brought many a giggle from the audience whenever it was worn.

The centrepiece of the set was an authentic looking traders’ cart which felt really in keeping with the genre of piece and the garden environment. It was supplemented by various props which were simply but beautifully made and utilized. They certainly added up to much more than the sum of their parts. I personally loved the use of pages from books for the papier mâché covering most of the props and the pattern on Pinocchio’s clothes, and the blue patchwork sea which unraveled from a traditional suitcase.

On the subject of beautifully made (by Animated Objects Theatre Company), Pinocchio himself was truly wonderful to behold and definitely should be classed as the seventh member of the cast. For those of you who have been lucky enough to see a performance of Avenue Q live, every member of the cast of Pinocchio managed to create the same symbiotic relationship between actor and puppet which gives Avenue Q it’s magic, and although his voice changed as each cast member took their turn as puppeteer it quickly became unnoticeable. The puppeteering itself was very effective and gave yet another layer to Pinocchio’s character. The transitions between each puppeteer were seamless and the more technical movements, which were performed by several puppeteers together were excellent.

The programme was once again provided in a digital format accessible by the audience using a QR code given to them as they arrived. This approach to programming definitely feels like the way forward for both amateur and professional productions and I hope to see more of it in the future. It ticks a box for improved sustainability whilst also reducing costs (for both producer and audience) which is becoming more and more important in this day and age, so is a win win for everyone in my opinion.  

The script and original songs written by Alex Weatherill were a brilliant adaption of a much told tale, and with apologies to those devout Disney fans reading, a much more enjoyable version than the latest live action remake! It felt fresh and current, but not saccharine, still providing the morals and life lessons the story is known for without being preachy. All of the cast moved seamlessly between singing and speaking and were always perfectly in time with the backing tracks. They could also always be heard clearly, despite the fact they were outside without mics, and also competing against the usual bank holiday seaside cacophony! Since the story needed to be condensed into just over an hour, this production made great use of asides to the audience to move the story along and speed up potentially less entertaining or inappropriate parts of the story. It had also been well written to take account of the mixed age audience and included jokes for all ages including those intended for adults which go over the heads of the younger members of the audience which always bring amusement and are a particular favourite of mine. 

Clare Maxwell’s choreography was a lovely mix of movement and dance which really added vitality to the performance. The traditional dances were fun and anchored the piece in its location and era, and the song and dance routine designed for the audience to join in with was a highlight of the show. Two other pieces of movement worthy of special mention were the circus skills which were fabulous to see up close and the marionette routine which was perfectly timed and so full of life! All the routines made excellent use of the whole stage as the cast nimbly moved from the lawn to the cart and back again via a ramp and an intentionally higgledy pile of boxes.

All in all, the show was a wonderful way to spend one of the last sunny days of summer. Whilst I would love to mention every cast member by name, I fear my compliments would become repetitive and seem insincere, so I will just congratulate the whole cast for their superb performances, and the cast and production team as a whole for a truly fabulous show.

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