The Shooky, Birmingham Rep To 17th July

Birmingham

Birmingham

THE SHOOKY
by Peter Wynne-Wilson
and the children of Birmingham

Birmingham Rep To 17 July 2004
11.00am & 1.30pm
Runs: 1 hr 15 mins No interval

TICKETS: 0121 236 4455
www.birmingham-rep.co.uk
Review: Jan Pick: 13th July

Everyone needs a place to playEngaging, lively and imaginative, it is hard to imagine this play not appealing to children who both helped in its conception and development and who form its target audience of 5-9 year olds.

Set in a recreation ground in the corner of a big city The Shooky explores children's yearning for magic and adventure, their hidden fears of the dark and lurking shadows, and the fascination of secret hideaways and maps.

The Shooky is a place for fun and exploration under threat from adults and authority whose desire for imposing safety and rigid rules is destroying the possibility of adventure and the sense of freedom and independence that form an essential part of the experience of childhood. Twins Onga and Iccy, and Mercedes the ladybird, embark on a magical adventure fuelled by imagination, to save The Shooky for themselves and for future generations of children from the evil ranger Bradley, and to rescue him from the curse that has caused him to become its enemy. As the children encounter scary adults, strange talking insects and the terrible tiger of Tiger Island, they sweep the audience into the drama.

Subtle lighting and ingenious use of boxes, chests, large cupboards and a shadow cloth, challenge the imagination, as pebbles become stepping stones and a musical box becomes the ticking clock of time.

At no point in its 75 minutes did this play fail to hold its predominantly young audience's fascinated attention in a mix of humorous, spooky, scary and emotional magic that encouraged them to share and enjoy this dramatic adventure with the versatile cast.

Onga: Jimmy Akingbola
Iccy: Betsabeh Emran
Bradley: John Flitcroft
Mercedes: Joanne Moseley
Peas: Erika Poole
Foogle: Richard Stacey

Director: Toby Frow
Designer: Ben Stones
Lighting: Andrew Fidgeon
Composer/Musical Director: Richard Hammarton
Movement: Liam Steel

Production Team:
Akili Dara: Marie Jennings: (Dame Ellen Pinsent School):
Ann Hill: (James Brindley Hospital School):
Angela Lowry: (Heathlands Primary School):
Vicki Nussi: (Paget Primary School):
Celia Reeves: (Anderton Park Primary School)
Richard Rothwell: (Handsworth Grammar School):
Mike Scott: (Brays School):
Sarah Ward-Evans: (St. George's CE Primary School):
Marie Wilson: (Paget Primary School):

Supported by Creative Partnerships and the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

2004-07-14 00:46:33