FATHER CHRISTMAS AND THE LAST PRESENT. To 6 January.
London
FATHER CHRISTMAS AND THE LAST PRESENT
Polka Theatre 240 The Broadway SW19 1SB To 6 January 2007
2 Jan 11am & 2.30pm, 6 Jan 2.30pm & 5.30pm also schools performances 3-5 January
Watch with Baby 11am 2 Jan
Runs 1hr 35min One interval
TICKETS: 020 8543 4888
www.polkatheatre.com
Review: Timothy Ramsden 30 December
An ill-conceived hotchpotch.
Polka, a venue in the premier division as a producer of young people’s theatre, suffers artistic relegation with this ghastly Christmas show, which shows all the problems that can arise with devised work and very few of the benefits. The scenario on which the piece is slenderly strung involves young Lucy Barrington-Smith and her multiple approaches to Father Christmas for presents.
He attends to these like someone who spent last Christmas night but several reading from the many copies of Lynne Truss’s defence of punctuation he was doubtless then delivering, for Lucy’s literacy draws his appreciative attention. Meanwhile, she is arranging snogging sessions between a plaster Joseph and Mary, and worrying about the missing Baby Jesus.
This is not a spiritual search, merely puzzlement over the whereabouts of one item from her matching set of Christmas statuettes. Her mother’s responsible for its loss. Specifically, mother’s tired from overwork at the office, which has led to neglect of her daughter. This relationship obviously figured on the scenario sheet, but it’s never brought to life. That would mean detailed consideration of people and their relationship, and a subtlety of story in a different league from the excuse for a series of gags and routines which is evident here.
The result might just be tolerable if these came off as humour. But the lumpenly unfunny business with Father Christmas and several reindeer that fills up so much of this tedious, briefish show is neither all-dressed-up, nor does it have anywhere to go. Admittedly, some of the physical comedy evoked bursts of child laughter. Too often though the underlying idea seemed something worked out by the company but never brought to life.
The poster’s proud boast that this is for everyone aged 4 to 104 merely points up the lack of any focus. At Polka audiences are very likely to include many from the youngest part of the age-range. Nothing here showed any appreciation of how to go about producing theatre that could resonate with such young audiences beyond a few sections of party-humour. Overall, and atypically for Polka, a dismal event.
Mum/Blitzen: Jane Guernier
Prancer/Rudolph: Stephen Harper
Comet: Tim Hibberd
Lucy/Vixen: Lisa Moule
Father Christmas: Gavin Robertson
Director: John Wright
Designer: Phil Marshall
Lighting: Helen Morley
Sound/Composer: Julian Butler
Choreographer: Kitty Winter
Puppet consultant: Roman Stefanski
Dramaturg: Richard Shannon
Assistant director: Jennie Fellows
2007-01-01 21:31:49