Drew Livingston as Terry & James Elliott as Andy in The 52-Storey Treehouse. Photo by Branco Gaica.
This is the latest theatrical adapatation of the hugely successful Treehouse series by Andy Griffiths. Each year another 13 storeys are added and the plotlines become more and more outrageous. This is perfect fodder for kids theatre, for as each book becomes a best seller, a ready made audience is created. The books so far have sold in their millions with many more books to come.
It’s Andy’s (Alex Duncan) birthday and his best friend Terry (Jack Starkey Gill) has forgotten. Their neighbour Jill (Jane Mahady) has fallen into a deep sleep and their publisher Mr. Big Nose has disappeared. Something’s not right, so Andy and Terry set off on an adventure of a lifetime. Along they way they are met by a hungry caterpillar and a whole cast of hilarious creatures. Andy and Terry use their imagination, ingenuity and creativity to save the day
Richard Tulloch’s adapatation worked beautifully, he thankfully left out a lot of the unnecessary repetition of the book. There was some very basic puppetry on show which the kids loved, including a voracious caterpillar and of course the irascible publishing kingpin Mr. Big Nose (who at times looked more like a stuffed toy than the menacing patriarch he is in the books).
Jack Starkey-Gill who played Terry was worthy of particular attention; his energy was infectious and timing was spot on. The show was aimed at an audience ​aged 6-12 but it might be a bit of a stretch beyond 10 years of age. It was faithful to the story and contained all the irreverence and self deprecating humour that one associates with Andy Griffiths. There was even a farting identification device (of course!). The pace of the production was tight, but it didn’t feel as relentless as the books often do. The songs were simple and really only added a bit of colour and movement; I don’t think they were completely necessary.
I’ve always accepted the books as fun fiction. This production however brought to life that these kids could be playing in any backyard and using their own imagination to create their world. A world of play, where a treehouse of course can have 52 storeys. This accounted for the fact that the set design was essentially a wooden box on stage with some doors. It would have assisted the audience if they could have alluded to the whatever the characters had imagined, using projection for example or something of a slightly grander scale. In some ways this added to the charm, the fact the treehouse is in the imagination only but it didn’t feel as magical and comical as the book.
The various steampunk designed machines however like the carrot cannon and the remembrance machine were much more in keeping with the spirit of the books and there were gasps aplenty from the kids who were seeing these crazy props come to life.
My nine year old cackled his way through the show. He has been reading the books since The 13 Storey Treehouse was released. He enjoyed the show but wanted more of the treehouse to come alive. A treat for Griffiths’ demographic.
3 stars out of 5​
The 52-Storey Treehouse
A play by Richard Tulloch
Adapted from the book by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton
Artistic Director: Julian Louis
Director: Liesel Badorrek
Set / Costume Designer: Mark Thompson
Lighting Designer: Nicholas Higgins
Sound Designer: Ross Johnston
The Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne
1-17 April 2016
