DAISY JONES AND THE JELLYBEAN CONSPIRACY.

Young People

DAISY JONES AND THE JELLYBEAN CONSPIRACY

New Wolsey Theatre On tour
Runs 45min No interval

Tour information: 01473 295900
Review Timothy Ramsden 29 July at Beccles Carnival

A happy, energetic contribution to a summer's day out, well-shaped to childhood experience.Out and about, dodging the summer weather, Ipswich-based New Wolsey offers a show for 5+ in a variety of settings. The performance I caught was part of a larger event in Beccles, thereby attracting young people who might not have turned up, or have been turned out by parents to, a theatre performance.

It's suitably fast-paced, audience-friendly and easy to take. But by no means empty-headed. Events begins with a very downcast Daisy suffering that root betrayal of childhood emotions, the feeling of parental desertion. All the family's off but for Daisy, sent to stay with Uncle Jack.

And such a negative frame of feeling leads to Daisy marking out her new territory by exploring, and, of course, entering the forbidden territory of Jack's half-finished cartoon worlds. Accompanied by a pair of puppet jellybeans, she can only escape by finishing each character's story happily; their happy ends mean a happy end to her task. And the clearing of her despondency. Which would be fine if it were not for the nutritious sounding, but evilly-intentioned Dr Cabbagefinger.

Needless to say, the malign doctoral vegetable is finally foiled as Daisy, by design or happy accident, helps out each comic character she meets. It may not cut very deep – could you in 45 minutes in the open air? - but it explores entertainingly a child's-eye world where danger and hope co-exist and a sense of justice is forever, unsceptically, present.

All three actors catch the right tone and make themselves heard (an achievement in itself), with one exception. Despite their title-billing, the Jellybeans are operated by actors behind screen, which is asking too much – many words are lost. Otherwise, a neat piece of audience outreach round Suffolk and Norfolk.

Daisy: Lena Rae
Uncle/Dr Cabbage finger/Magnet Boy: Saul Jaffe
Daddylonglegsman/Davey Street/Myopic Martin: Denny James-Smith

Director: Mary Swan
Designer: Sam Pine
Music: Paul Wild

2002-08-14 10:12:54