James wrote the part of Albert, the Magic Pudding, for a puppet, with the puppeteer visible to the audience. The other well-loved characters, most of them native Australian animals, are played by live actors in costumes of the early twentieth century, embellished with accessories that suggest the animal identity of each: for instance Bunyip Bluegum wears grey fur earmuffs to suggest koala ears. The only character to suit up was Possum (Callum Vincen) who wore all over tights and hood.
John Senczuk’s set, with its picket fence and rotary clothes line, set the Australiana theme right from the start. A bit slow to get going on preview night, the cast soon warmed up and the show became a bucolic romp, cheered along by an audience whose mean age must have been about seven. But the entire house quickly got into the spirit of the thing, hissing the villains – wicked pudding thieves Bandicoot (Emma Ashton) and Watkin Wombat (Tim How) – and cheering the heroes – Bill Barnacle (Murray Dowsett) and Sam Sawnoff (Angelique Malcolm).
Part of the Metcalfe Playhouse’s mission is to cast aspiring youngsters and more experienced players from Perth’s community theatre fraternity, giving them the opportunity to appear in professional productions alongside old troupers such as Murray Dowsett, the undoubted star of this show. The three young performers from the Stage Door School of Performing Arts, Emma Ashton, Callum Vincen and Laurence Westrip, acquitted themselves well. Vincen, especially, deserves commendation for his excellent acting in the role of Possum. His voice projected extremely well – far better than those of some older actors I’ve seen recently. With further training, his natural ability should take him a long way.
Ranking alongside Dowsett was Iskandar Sharazuddin, the black-clad puppeteer who guided Albert the Magic Pudding around the stage and lent him his voice. Scampering in a Gollum-like crouch behind Albert, Sharazuddin was an almost menacing figure, which served to emphasise the ambiguous nature of the Magic Pudding, yet his presence was never intrusive: we always believed in Albert as a character in his own right. Kudos also to Martyn Churcher, who appeared in no less than four roles, presenting a very different persona in each.
Sometimes Lindsay’s language will seem a bit foreign to children of a century later, but as the show increased in pace the youngsters in the audience soon adapted to it. I suspect much of the rustic, old-world charm of this production will be appreciated even more by adults who remember the likes of Blinky Bill and his mates from their own childhoods. So if this was one of your nursery faves, grab a grandchild or two and take them to the Metcalfe these school holidays.
Rating: Three stars
Janus Entertainment presents:
Norman Lindsay’s The Magic Pudding, adapted by Andrew James
Music by Sarah de Jong
Director: Mark Barford
Costume Designer: Penny Mazzuchelli
Set Designer: John Senczuk
Lighting Designer: Aaron Stirk
Musical arrangements and backings: Paul Millard
Stage Manager: Linda Johnston
The Metcalfe Playhouse, Northbridge
October 1 – 8
Kalamunda Performing Arts Centre
October 11 – 15
