By Michelle Rawlins
Beautiful storytelling, wondrous puppetry and a large sprinkling of magic come together for this lively and captivating retelling of the Italian 19th century children’s classic.
The Civic in Barnsley never fails to come up with an enchanting children’s Christmas show to remember, and once again they came up trumps.
Stepping away from the expected script, Stuff and Nonsense Director, Niki McCretton, has produced a fun and playful, yet touchingly poignant adaptation of the much-loved wooden character’s early life.
The well-known story of the mischievous hand-carved puppet who dreams of becoming a real boy is ever present, as is the underlying moral of telling lies and nose growing, albeit in a joyful and understated manner. But this hugely enjoyable family production delivers a fresh and exciting twist, focussing on how the little boy was reunited with his devoted father, after getting unexpectedly separated.
The three-person hour long show, centres around a huge and constantly moving wooden table in an old abandoned house, as Pinocchio, his father, and grandfather, travel back in time to relive the tumultuous journey they went on to be reunited.
With the aid of an endless supply of creative props, ever-moving furniture, amusing dancing and energetic acrobats, alongside delightful puppets, Pinocchio travels through a dangerous forest, with talking creatures whose mission is simply to deceive the kind-hearted little boy, until he ends up in the stomach of a great whale no less.
There was plenty of laughter and squeals of excitement from the younger members of the audience, a true credit to the Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company, whose modus operandi is to open children’s imagination, while simultaneously creating non-stop entertainment and this enthralling production hits the spot perfectly.
There is plenty of music and singing to keep this fast-paced show alive, ensuring younger theatre goers are transfixed and don’t have a minute to get bored or start fidgeting in their seats.
If you are looking for an alternative to a Panto this January, you can’t go wrong with this excellently well thought out and produced theatrical masterpiece.
Tickets: stuff and nonsense theatre company
Touring Until February 27 2022