Skye Gellmann and goose in Jack and the Beanstalk. Photo credit: Heidrun Löhr, Adelaide Festival of Arts
A theatre full of Adelaide children waving their hands in the air and shouting ‘Me! Me!’, all desperate to be the next audience members fed to an ogre, is not a sight that will be quickly forgotten. Kids these days, hey?
The familiar tale of Jack and his mother, their cow Milky White, a handful of magic beans and an ogre’s castle in the clouds is magnificently brought to life in this inventive production by award-winning Italian director Chiara Guidi of Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio and a team of Australian artistic collaborators.
The ogre’s castle is a towering set of cardboard boxes, to which nimble Jack (circus artist Skye Gellmann) ascends via a Chinese pole routine, his leaps and drops provoking awed gasps from the young audience. Two accomplished musicians provide an evocative live score from the side of the stage, their numbers growing throughout proceedings as a number of children are recruited to their ranks.
Interactivity is a strong feature of this version of Jack and the Beanstalk: as Jack’s adventures continue, small groups of children are encouraged to join him in the ogre’s castle. ‘Who wants to meet the ogre? Just remember, there’s a first time for everything – and also a last,’ says the masked and mysterious narrator, ushering another group of children into the castle.
The production is also notable for not shying away from the darker elements of the familiar fairy tale. The cow’s milk turns to dust. Children’s bones, gnawed carefully clean, are scattered across the stage and passed around as ghoulish mementos. Jack is chased and beaten by his mother after selling their cow for a handful of beans; expressionistic lighting brings their slow-motion pursuit to life, after which the audience are invited to pelt the sleeping Jack with their own beans, carefully issued to each child upon entry to the theatre.
The goose that lays the golden eggs is a beautifully constructed puppet around which enraptured children gather, stroking its feathers. Another puppet, the ogre’s dog, is spectacularly revealed, provoking thrilled gasps and delighted screams – the production generates the sort of fear that can be easily faced and proudly survived, empowering its young audience and giving them agency and confidence.
Children’s entertainment often features jokes aimed at adults, to keep them amused; here the jokes are meta-theatrical observations about the nature of the unfolding story.
Though the opening sequence feels a trifle over-extended, this production of Jack and the Beanstalk quickly finds its feet, and remains nimble, entertaining and aesthetically rich thereafter. An Adelaide Festival highlight.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Jack and the Beanstalk
Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio in co-production with Jeff Stein, Erth Visual and Physical, Campbelltown Arts Centre and Insite Arts
Director and Writer: Chiara Guidi
Facilitator and Creative Producer: Jeff Stein
Artistic Associate: Scott Wright
Performers: Skye Gellmann, Katia Molino, Drew Fairley, Christa Hughes and Scott Wright
Assistant to the Director, Translator and Performer: Nadia Cusimano
Co-Composer/Arranger and Musicians: Trevor Brown (Flute, Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Percussion) and Veren Grigorov (Violin)
Sound Design: Max Lyandvert
Set Design and Construction: Erth Visual and Physical (Scott Wright and Steve Howarth)
Lighting Designer and Production Manager: Mark Haslam
Odeon Theatre, Norwood
28 February – 8 March
Adelaide Festival of Arts 2015
www.adelaidefestival.com.au
27 February – 15 March
