The Peace Child

PADOS Juniors transport us deep into the jungle of Mambica where we meet two opposing tribes who are unwilling to put an end to their hatred against each other. The mighty Sotongi tribe with their competitive nature preach and believe in physical strength and combat whilst on the other side of the river, the serene Wannakeekee tribe practise art, worship nature and believe in all things tranquil.

This show with original songs and a witty lib offers mounds of enjoyment for the youth cast and is equally as fun and entertaining for the audience of adults and family members.

Director Leah Fogo has not gone easy on her cast as they were all heavily involved in this busy production, whether playing a principal role or a member of one of the tribes, no one has been able to get away with blagging their way through as it’s fit to bursting with full company numbers and energetic routines, most of the scenes are choreographed and involved the full company and had been drilled to create a polished end product. 

We were kept up to speed with the story and goings on with the help of a Narrator duo (Cara Watson & Madison Lenihan-Parker). Madison delivered comedy very naturally and gave a relaxed and easy performance throughout,

she was appropriately animated and was confident when addressing the audience, I knew we were in capable hands from the offset with this duo in charge.

Two prominent highlights of the show for me were the comic cameo builder duo (William Elder and Matthew Crossley Walsh), these guys delivered comedy in a way that only youth can – impersonating adults! The entire audience were in fits of laughter at their charm and jest, excellent!

Then, to the heart of the tale – the Wannakeekee Chief and his wife offer the gift of their new-born child to bring peace between them and the Sotongi’s. Molly Patton, as she parts with her baby, gave an incredibly mature and heartfelt performance which stunned, the atmosphere in the small studio theatre changed dramatically with the impact of this turn in the story which Molly carried with notable results.

The musical numbers were all sung to track but none the less Musical Director, Scott Stait, still had his hands full with the amount of time he’d obviously spent with the cast and the vast quantity of company singing.

This is not what I’d call an easy show to put on as it’s pretty much all sung with just a few very short linking scenes, plus, 90% of the numbers are upbeat and with the full company which means a lot of choreography was required.

The responsibility of the movement had been shared between 3 people, I must admit, although I don’t often see positive results from using several choreographers, I fully appreciate the benefit this has had on this production to help lighten the load. 

A very enjoyable and enlightening production!

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