"They'll do the same to me as they do to normal boys. They'll send me to school and I'll have to study, whether I want to or not. I don't want to learn anything! I'll have much more fun chasing butterflies and climbing trees and stealing little birds from their nests" said Pinocchio. Read more …
"If you don't be careful, Pinocchio, you're going to grow up to be a donkey" replied the cricket.
Desperate to be a real boy, our mischievious puppet sets out on a series of adventures, meeting on his way a whole cast of exciting and colourful characters, including the dastardly duo of fox and cat, the wise and wonferful blue fairy and, of course, the giant whale.
Directed by Julie Brown (Little Red Riding Hood) and adapted by Alan Bissett, this fantastical, whimsical retelling of the classic children's story is brought to life by actors, musicians, puppets, song and dance.
A charming mixture of storytelling, live action, live music, and puppetry.
There’s a stark look about this Pinocchio that –unlike the performances – doesn’t fire the imagination.
The storytelling is poor, with key incidents completely unexplained. The songs are dire – growly, dull and pitched too low for the actors' voices. And as for the visual effects – well, the audience's imagination is a wonderful thing, but it cannot compensate for a complete lack of beauty or inspiration.
With kiddie-friendly physical comedy in abundance and the odd bit of clever word play for the adults, Pinocchio is an excellent alternative to the mainstream panto season.
The Arches, Glasgow from Wednesday December 1, 2010, until Sunday January 2, 2011. More info: www.thearches.co.uk
RSS feed of Theatre reviews