PINOCCHIO. To 15 January.

Leeds

PINOCCHIO
by Carlo Collodi adapted by Mike Kenny with Phil Clark

West Yorkshire Playhouse (Barber Studio) To 15 January 2005
Mon-Wed; Sat 10.30am & 1pm Thu-Fri 1pm & 6.30pm
Runs 1hr 5min No interval

TICKETS: 0113 213 7700
www.wyp.org.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 17 December

Vivid and lively, but watch the age recommendation.Though West Yorkshire Playhouse advertises this as a show for 4-8s and their families, I don't suppose they meant to include younger brothers and sisters. Even 4's stretching it a bit for a couple of the darker scenes here. But there were some families with even younger children present, leading to wails and signals of loud distress.

In a couple of cases the in-the-round production became virtually a promenade performance as youngsters-in-arms were borne outside for comfort and relief before giving them another stab at the action. At one point a sound I took for some low sinister effect turned out to be the repeated sound of a deeply concerned infant.

Not that this Pinocchio is that torrid. It's really a tribute to its vivid theatricality. But it has moments of physical and emotional darkness which make 4 the very lowest age that should be there.

The other reason is its theatricality. Telling a detailed story in just over an hour, there is a fair amount to be picked up by allusion from rapid theatricality rather than straightforward direct representation. Sounds, too, create scenic moments in the action. And Richard Taylor's evocative score makes a major contribution, with its lolloping donkey phrases, its quiet underscoring and imaginative use of percussive sounds. All colourful enough as is the inventive use of Emma Williams' set, which finds new uses in every scene.

But it needs a speedy picking up of visual and aural metaphors that is unlikely when sheer sensory overload works on very young nerves. For the right age, Gail McIntyre's exemplary production should engage and stimulate audiences. It's helped by a fine performance as Pinocchio, for once giving the phrase wooden acting' a positive meaning with awkward limb movements and wayward facial glances.

For the right ages, then, a beautifully conceived production, lither and more imaginative than Mike Kenny's adaptation received last year in Cardiff. But it's an argument (though with looming cuts in theatre funding it's not a good time to make it) for theatres providing crèches for younger siblings and emphasising, if not enforcing, age range restrictions.

Cast:
Richard Kay, Simon Kerrigan, Sara Rice-Oxley, Andy Spearpoint

Director: Gail McIntyre
Designer: Emma Williams
Lighting: Deborah Joyce
Composer: Richard Taylor
Musical Director: Andy Spearpoint

2005-01-03 00:18:07