Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
A
Musical Theatre show for children with music, lyrics and script by Peter Best.
Directed by Jordan Best. Centrepiece Productions. The Q Theatre. Queanbeyan
Performing Arts Centre. January 19 – 23.
2016
Reviewed by Peter Wilkins
Centrepiece Theatre returns to
the stage after too long an absence with its acclaimed production of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Writer,
Peter Best’s utterly enchanting revisiting of the classic children’s story is a an absolutely flawless retelling of the
tale of Daddy Bear (Jim Adamik), Mummy Bear (Kiki Skountzos), Baby Bear (Tim
Sekuless) and Goldilocks (Amy Dunham). I don’t say this lightly. Too often,
productions for the very young can be tainted by token participation, exaggerated
characterization, touches of inappropriate adult humour or too much sound and
fury signifying nothing.
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| Tim Sekuless as Baby Bear. Amy Dunham as Goldilocks. Kiki Skountzos as Mummy Bear and Jim Adamik as Daddy Bear Photo by Kelly McGannon |
Centrepiece’s production is pure
perfection, pitched at its young, mostly preschool audience and their parents
or grandparents with such sensitive understanding of the heart and mind of the
child. That there is not a shred of the insincerity that one might find in those
productions that claim to know what a
child should experience, rather than what most delights a child and ignites
their imagination, is a credit to this
imaginative and sensitive company.
 |
| Jim Adamik as Daddy Bear in Centtrepiece Productions Goldilocks and the Three Bears Photo by Kelly McGannon |
From the very opening of
Centrepiece’s version, the scene is set in a picturesque staging, designed by
director, Jordan Best. The three bears and the musical cow (Matthew Webster) on
the keyboard, are effectively costumed in Best’s design. We are drawn into a Playschool
home with bears in there and chairs as well, with different coloured beds and a
story to tell. It’s a stage that’s colourful and flowerpot lined to invite an
audience inside to the Goldilock’s tale. Every detail of the setting has been
designed with a child’s view of the world in mind and gently lit by Kelly
McGannon.
In fact, everything about this
show is gentle, coaxing the children to enter the magical story-world of a tale
as familiar to them as their daily breakfast. And yet Peter Best’s cleverly constructed
action is full of surprises, with ample opportunity for the bears to meet the
audience and the audience to realize that Daddy Bear is not really scary at
all, but quite a softy below his gruffly growl. Under Jordan Best’s sensitive
and joyful direction, the actors create a lovable world of action, comedy and
adventure, designed simply to delight. It would be too easy to create a Grimm’s
fairy tale version of this tale with fearsome bears, frightened Goldilocks and
furious reprisals by bears, indignant at an invader who has eaten their
porridge, broken their chair and crumpled the bed.
This version is no Roald Dahl
revenge tale. It is a beautiful story of forgiveness and friendship, of apology
and acceptance, and all that we love about bears and girls with golden hair.
Best has chosen an ideal cast, who engage honestly and affectionately with
their audience, while creating a believable storybook world for all audiences
to be charmed by.
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| Amy Dunham is Goldilocks in the Centrepiece production Photo by Kelly McGannon |
Peter Best’s music and lyrics,
gently played by Webster, like the learning of audience names at the start of
the show, begins with simply lyrics and rhythms. However, by the time the bears
sing their Bear Bottoms Song and Goldilocks sings her Sorry number, Best’s songs
take on a Disney touch, less sugary, but very sweet and melodic with a touch of
real class and anyone of the final three numbers could be an all-time hit.
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| Tim Sekuless is Baby Bear Photo by Kelly McGannon |
Jordan Best’s sure-handed direction is
evident in every moment of this thoroughly entertaining show. Her participation
is handled with carefully controlled intent. The audience knows when to call
out Bear! Bear! Bear! to warn the
rather funny and slightly silly Bear family of Goldilocks’s approach, and Goldilock!s Goldilocks! Goldilocks! to
warn the heroine of the Bears’ return. It’s all done in good fun, with a gentle
touch of slapstick and crazy business. I am also impressed by the easy segue
from action to realization as the bears discover the evidence of an intruder in
their house. Script and direction fuse in complete understanding of the true
nature of good Children’s Theatre and this is excellent children’s theatre,
professional in every respect, and delightfully acted by the skilful storytellers
and their Musical Cow.
With its small cast and simple,
transportable set, Centrepiece’s production of Goldilocks and the Three Bears cries out to be toured. I urge any touring
production company to take up this show and delight the widest possible
audience. In the tradition of the very best of children’s theatre, Goldilocks and the Three Bears in this
production will enchant the youngest child to the oldest adult. The Q needs to
be congratulated for bringing Centrepiece’s revival to its stage. Be quick.
Once the word gets out, there’ll be bearly
a seat to be had.