JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH: Dahl/ Wood, B'ham Old Rep till February then touri
Birmingham
JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH: Roald Dahl, adapted, David Wood
Birmingham Stage Company, Old Rep Theatre: Tkts, 0121 236 5622
Runs: 1h 40m, one interval: Old Rep then touring from February 2002 into 2003: tour info, www.jamesandthegiantpeachtour.co.uk
Review: Rod Dungate, 27 November 2001
It's perfectly logical to live in a peach if the peach is big enough Roald Dahl's magic captures the children in this stage adaptation
Roald Dahl's ability to hold a child's attention is awesome. He has the ability to do a rare thing he taps directly into a child's wit and sense of humour, not an easy thing for an adult to do.
There is something essentially funny about a giant peach rolling through the countryside frightening the sheep, but if it can do that, then why shouldn't it float to America with people living in it? The Birmingham Stage Company, in this David Wood adaptation, understands that the pleasure for the children lies in the invention: it is not a tussle between goodies and baddies. At one point, young James (the hero) has to save everyone from sharks (wonderful creatures they are biting into the peach with amplified 'bongs'): there's no real danger he won't save them, but there's great fun in seeing how he does it.
So the wonderful episodes pass, live, in front of us including an underwater fight with an octopus and two ghastly aunts getting horribly squashed (more clarity needed here the children love it but it was difficult to see where I was at the back and there were lots of very small ones back there too.)
A highly energetic crew surrounds young James, their leader. Joel Chalfen presents a James with unfussy clarity, vulnerability and no horrible, patronising 'childy' acting. He's every child's favourite older brother.
Some lively songs (composer Mary McAdam) accompany the show: their wit is often lost though as the unamplified actors' singing voices disappear beneath the music amplified through Front of House speakers. Finally, I do hate it when children are asked to make a choice when there really is no choice. As when the peach falls to earth and James asks them 'Will you help us?' The children do not really have a choice to say 'No' and this spurious episode does nothing to enhance the theatre experience: it breaks the flow. Just trust the material and trust the children too.
Cast:
James: Joel Chalfen
Centipede: Timothy Speyer
Earthworm: Benedict Martin
Grasshopper: Shaun Glanville
Ladybird: Claire Jeater
Spider: Laura McFall
Tour Guide: Beverley-Ann Ross
TV Reporter: Leigh Palmer
Director: Graeme Messer
Designer: Jacqueline Trousdale
Lighting: Brian Harris
Composer: Mary McAdam
2001-11-27 20:06:36