Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Catherine Devine, Kimberley Elizabeth Greenwood, Nick Wymer, Louise Gregson, Michael Newstead, Joe Matthew-Morris, Geraldine Moloney Judge , Lee Burnitt, Caitlin Harwood, James Stephenson, Charley McCafferty, Laura Jones.
There is a time when we must all look to those we may call father and take on the mantle of being grown up in front of them, that the facade of childhood and made up stories must cease, and we must find ourselves being the adult, we must cut the strings and stand upon our own two feet.
One of the great childhood stories Pinocchio has enthralled millions over the centuries, perhaps because it speaks of something more primal, more in tune with the natural world around us and the way the thought of puppets and marionettes have the effect of mimicking the human condition, of being controlled by an external force, of portraying our less sensitive emotions with keen observation. It is only a short step from puppet to boy, in terms of growth, and until the boy sees the wider world, takes responsibility for his actions, then he shall forever be on the end of someone else’s strings.
Cuckootales theatre company take on this extraordinary tale of the wooden carved boy who wanted to be real and have a heart to a new realm of beautifully imagined story-telling, of the nature of desire, of wanting to be a father, of wanting to explore before you are ready to hold onto anything but the next fleeting glimpse of personal gain.
This original production of Carlo Collodi’s classic story by Cuckootales and written and directed by Gemma Hurst and Pauline Morris, Pinocchio: The Boy Within, takes on a stylish and more down to Earth look at the tale of Pinocchio, without losing a moment of the intrigue or characterisation first laid down in great children’s literature. The adaptation also benefits greatly from the music arranged by Felix Hagan and the local Liverpool acting company that fills the stage with humour and the test of all such companies, the ability to thrill both the child, and the parent alike.
Joined by some of the students from the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy, the company have given something more to the idea of childhood, that there is a lesson to be learned everywhere you look, that we perhaps never truly grow up whilst we are willing to accept the lies forced down our throat by those who refuse to cut our strings.
A wonderful presentation of a classic tale, Cuckootales have created a piece of theatre that is generous and entertaining.
Ian D. HallÂ