The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show and other timeless stories
Created by Jonathan Worsley. Directed by Naomi Edwards.
Producer JWR Productions and Michael
Sieders. Set Designer James Browne. Puppets created by Puppet Kitchen. Costume
Designer Andrea Espinoza. Lighting
Designer. Nicholas Rayment. Composer/Sound Designer Shannon Brown. Movement
Director Samantha Chester. The Q. Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. September
30 – October 4. 2015
Reviewed by Peter Wilkins
The creative team behind The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show demonstrates that magic is not
merely the province of the sleight of hand or the cunning illusion. In Jonathan
Worsley’s puppet version of Eric Carle’s timeless and enchanting stories for
the very young, magic dwells in the miracle of wonderment. It sparkles in the
wide eyes of the children, transfixed by the company’s gentle and entrancing
revelation of the story through puppetry, movement and colour. It glides upon
the smiles of the adults, engrossed in the unfolding visual depiction of Eric
Carle’s simply and beautifully woven stories of The Artist Who Painted The Blue Horse, Mr. Seahorse, The Very Lonely
Firefly and the title tale that has earned its immortal place in the children’s
library of classic tales, The Very Hungry
Caterpillar.
Under Naomi Edwards’ direction and in the chameleon set of James
Browne, the four skilful actor/puppeteers create a storybook world of
fascinating creatures, simple adventures and wondrous transformations to thrill
and delight the very young audience of babes in arms, excited toddlers and
enchanted Mums, Dads and Grandparents. Ín The
Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse children watch in amazement as the brightly
clothed artist transforms in a moment a white canvas into the magical painting
of a blue horse or a black polar bear or a polka dot donkey. Anything is
possible in this amazing world of the imagination. Mr Seahorse gives birth to Mrs. Seahorse’s eggs after meeting a
variety of fish, also caring for the eggs of the mothers. The role of the father takes on a very special
significance in the family life of the sea creatures. The Very Lonely Firefly
travels the world past lights of many different things before finding a cluster
of fireflies to be his friends. There are friends to be found if one only goes
in search of those who share your world. And of course, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
soon learns as he nurses his aching tummy full of fruit and vegetables and cake
that the green leaf is his tummy’s best friend and the secret of his cocoon
will fill him with hope of a new life as a brilliantly colourful and delicate
butterfly.
Eric Carle’s world is one of
magic, of colour, transformation, imagination and hope in the affirmation of life’s
wonderment. In this absolutely wonderful puppet theatre production, the morals
are not lost on the young audience. They will not be articulated from the
mouths of the very young, but they will be understood in the amazed eyes, the
spontaneous laughter, the excited wriggles and the enthusiastic clapping. This
is children’s theatre of the very best kind. Eric Carle has captured the very
hearts and minds of the 1-7 year olds for whom this fifty five minute
performance is devised. James Browne has created a storybook setting in which
the white pages turn to reveal a colourful scene beneath the sea , brightly
coloured paintings upon the wall, a night scene and the vivid colours of the
caterpillar’s world. There is no need
for the gratuitous participation of the rowdy pantomime. The magic in the story
and the marvellously gentle puppetry, narration and musical backing, all illuminated
by the changing scenes, are sufficient to bring Carle’s world to life and keep
it vivid in the minds of an audience who are old enough to remember.
The names of the four
actor/puppeteers are nowhere to be found,, which is a shame. Maybe the cast
changes and they have decided not to credit the performers by name. The four
whom I saw were thoroughly professional, deliberate in their pacing and enunciation
to keep the audience enthralled and aware of the unfolding tale. Their movement
too was gentle and their timing precise under Edwards’ direction. Mystery,
intrigue, suspense and wonder were all played to perfection in the manipulation
of New York Puppet Kitchen’s puppets, the turning of the pages and the telling
of the story.
My four year old grandson sat
fixed to his seat, only occasionally calling out in total involvement “a very
hungry caterpillar” for all to hear. In his mind, and in mine, this not to be
missed production will remain as a true testament to Carle’s world of wonderment
and this company’s art in bringing it to life upon the Q’s stage.
