Pinocchio
This adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s retelling of the classic tale adapted by Simon Reade, and with music and lyrics by Chris Larner, is truly delightful.
The scene was set with beautiful trees and foliage framing the stage, and autumnal hues of orange, greens and pinks….and the story of how the discarded cherry stone, which became the cherry tree, and from there was carved by Christopher Bianchi’s Geppetto into the son he and his wife could never have, was told with humour, and creativity…and also just a little bit of toilet humour for the little ones!
The cast were all extremely good, and flexibly played multiple parts, instruments, and operated some extremely cleverly designed puppets from Marc Parrett. In fact, the puppetry on stage played a really big part in ensuring the magic of this story was so effective. I particularly liked the butterflies, the whale and the cricket. The pig was definitely enjoyed by the little ones in the audience. The way the cherry tree came together and it’s design was also stunning.
The tiny stage was used to its full capacity, and yet it was also surprisingly intimate.
This version of Pinocchio is magical, for both children and adults. One of the highlights is when the whale that swallows Pinocchio comes into the audience, lit up from inside. It is very simply done, but drew an audible reaction from the audience. Then later, when Pinocchio finds himself swallowed by the whale, the design of the inside of the whale’s stomach was very clever, especially when the whale bones started to move!
The set design by Yoav Segal is just beautiful, and Jonathan Chan’s lighting design compliments it perfectly. The book and the songs also work really well, with just the right balance of humour, physical theatre, and fun.
This production is co-directed by Indiana Lown-Collins and Elle While, and takes us back to the journey that Pinocchio goes on, from cherry tree, to finding his family, to the circus, to the belly of the whale, and back to his family, detailing the danger and lessons he learns along the way.
The seven strong cast are just fantastic. We particularly enjoyed Jacoba Williams as the Carabiniere and Geppetto and his wife played by Christopher Bianchi and Lottie Latham. We also enjoyed the various characters played by Afia Abusham, and Fred Double’s puppetry of the Cricket was spot on. But of course, this tale stands and falls with the central character, and Jerome Yates plays the puppet boy just right. His wide eyed innocence is played throughout very naturally, and the comedy is honest and all the funnier for it.
This is very much a children’s play, not a panto, but there are some lovely moments when the audience can participate. And it’s always just wonderful to see those moments of glee and magic on children’s faces!
Get yourself down to The Watermill to see this lovely show. It’s perfect for young and old, and takes us on a journey of childlike wonder.
This show was reviewed on the 23rd November 2024 at The Watermill Theatre, Newbury where it runs until the 5th January 2025. Tickets available here: Pinocchio by Pinocchio
Review written by Ruth Hawkins
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Photo credit: Mark Senior
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