PINOCCHIO. To 3 January.

St Andrews

PINOCCHIO
by Simon Sharkey based on the tales of Carlo Collodi

Byre Theatre To 3 January 2004
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat daily 2.30pm no performance 1 January, no eve performance 31 January, no matinee 2 January
Runs 2hr 5min One interval

TICKETS: 01334 475000
Review: Timothy Ramsden 22 December

Lively theatricality and strong performances make for a fine seasonal show.Carlo Collodi's tales of the wood puppet seeking to become human are just over a century old. Instead of folk-wisdom honed through experience into a story's retelling, they have a deliberate morality the nose growing longer whenever young pine eyes' tells a lie, school-avoiding children turning into donkeys and the religious allegory of woodcarver Geppetto, creator and wise father, searching in the face of death to save his erring son.

And, overall, Pinocchio becoming human the way children become adult, by taking on moral responsibility. The success of Simon Sharkey's retelling, in Rita Henderson's strongly-acted production, is the freshness it brings to the story.

Don't be daft stick to the path' we're asked to shout whenever Pinocchio strays. It could sound like a convocation of stern John Knoxs, but is fun thanks to the responses of Alison Connell's sprightly young chap, a spring in his step, despite the stiffness of a wooden creature, and wonder in his eyes. Connell makes credible too Pinocchio courageously risking his life to save fellow-woodman Harlequin from a puppeteer's fire.

Thanks, too, to Joanne Bett's narrating Fairy, silvery rather than colourful and bringing a pleasant earnestness to the role she really seems to want our help for Pinocchio: as conscientious and concerned a benevolence as you could find.

Just as well, for despite slight signs Jim Webster's sidekick Cat may not be quite so ruthless as his leader, the forces of evil are ever-ready to prey on Pinocchio whenever he steps awry or ignores Gepetto's advice. Kitted out in Huntsman's red, Richard Conlon's Fox is a self-confident predator. Lapping up audience jeers, he strolls, marches and prowls around, friendly to Pinocchio's face, vicious in tooth and claw the moment he can pounce. Upper-class English gentry, he's cold-hearted as can be in a beautifully-calculated performance.

Surrounded by kitchen drawers and alphabet blocks on Rebecca Minto's set its doors put to good action use the action suggests the home always awaiting Pinocchio, while the stage transforms to the woods where he ventures and, spectacularly creates a huge sea-storm which swallows Gepetto at the pair's moment of near re-union.

Pinocchio: Alison Connell
Geppetto/Mozorelli/Farmer/Cricket/Teacher: Alan Steele
Fairy/Lampwick: Joanne Bett
Fox/Polecat: Richard Conlon
Cat/Snake/Blackbird: Jim Webster

Director: Rita Henderson
Designer: Rebecca Minto
Lighting: Mike Brown
Composer/Musical Director: Jon Beales

2003-12-29 02:33:12