Brighton Fringe 2016
Pinocchio
Bard and Troubadour
Genre: Children's Theatre, Comedic, Musical Theatre, Puppetry, Storytelling
Venue: 89 London Road
Festival: Brighton Fringe
Low Down
Bard and Troubadour have carefully and lovingly crafted a revised version of the story for the children of today, inserting some new characters and losing some old, yet keeping the structure of the original story intact. Here is a production practically guaranteed to delight your child and bring out the child within many an adult!
Review
Pinocchio was first published as a serial in an Italian newspaper for children written in 1881 and 1882 by Carlo Collodi. Later it would be adapted into an animated film in 1940 and is considered by many to be one of Disney’s finest. Most of us know the story from books and from books retelling the story of the film that have somehow hard-wired themselves into British culture. Everyone has heard of Pinocchio. Even when the current Chancellor of the Exchequer was recently branded as ‘Pinocchio’ by some of his opponents over certain claims he was making concerning the Brexit campaign, no one said ‘what does that mean?’ Somehow we all know the story. But enough about the EU!
Bard and Troubadour have carefully and lovingly crafted a revised version of the story for the children of today, inserting some new characters and losing some old, yet keeping the structure of the original story intact. Here is a production practically guaranteed to delight your child and bring out the child within many an adult! As I glanced about the auditorium, the adults were just as taken up with the show as the children! I was accompanied by someone who I knew would ultimately announce her verdict on the show; a quick-witted, highly observant six year old grandchild with a good sense of humour. I decided this review would depend partly on her opinions and she loved it!
The pantomimic style so well utilised by Bard and Troubadour is entirely in keeping with their method of storytelling. The puppet of Pinocchio is superbly operated in such a way as it makes him truly seem to come alive within the story. The inherent growing of the nose with every lie told is wonderfully illustrated, although perhaps there could be a little more made on the moral perspective of this. There are many fine songs wonderfully interwoven into this performance that move the story forward in an entertaining way.
Here is a show you simply must take your children to. They will love it, and if you’re not careful, so will you! Moreover, you can introduce your children to theatre and live performance where their imaginations will become truly stimulated; something that television entertainment still finds hard to achieve. Suitability: 5-9 yrs and children of all ages!
