One of the most spectacular moments in a carer’s journey is when you see your child fall head over heels into the joy that imagination and creativity can bring. The show IMAGINE LIVE, based on Alison Lester’s book, pushes children of all ages into the all-encompassing delight of unbridled imagination, while allowing parents to bask in that glee.
There was some initial concern that, at 32 pages, the book was fairly light on to be turned into a 55-minute show. Also the book is pitched at babies to six-year-olds, while the production itself was created for those aged four to 12. However, these concerns soon dissipated.
While Lester’s book provided the bones of the narrative, the show has expanded on the ideas within it substantially.
The book’s journey is loosely undertaken by two children played by Aubrey Flood and Ashlea Pyke. The latter is also assistant director. They are joined by Phillip McInnes, who is also the digital puppeteer.
There is also a secondary storyline involving a young girl (Soli) and her nana, who FaceTime at regular intervals through the show.
The staging and prop work is fantastic, as is the incorporation of digital media. An extremely large copy of the book becomes multiple creatures throughout the performance, depending on the speed and style with which it is wielded by McInnes.
Live, original music is provided by Nate Gilkes, on keyboard and violin/fiddle. The cadence of the music moves with the peaks and troughs of the show’s pacing to create an absolute winner in terms of synchronicity and audience engagement. Audience participation is also there from the opening scene and is reinvigorated consistently at regular intervals.
The performances of the two lead actors are warm and engaging, without being patronising or contrived. It’s for this reason the children in the audience seem to connect with them and engage whenever requested to do so.
The way the entire thing comes together is a testament to the talent of the show’s writer, director and creator, Jolyon James. (The team’s 2018 production of Robot Song won a Helpmann Award in 2019 for Best Presentation for Children and Young People.)
In among the clever scripting, there are also jokes aimed at adult audience members (a cockatoo who wants to go for Sichuan steam boat), facts and trivia about animals and the environment (with the children in the audience screaming out the answers excitedly) and some heartfelt messages for all attendees irrespective of age, including the value of family, the importance of imagination and what makes a home.
IMAGINE LIVE also has nods to diversity in a number of capacities, including inclusivity around socioeconomic circumstance, gender and family composition. I suspect this was helped by musician Eliza Hull’s role as access inclusion consultant. Either way, it was noted and audibly gratefully received by adult audience members. Auslan interpreted performances, a tactile tour and a relaxed performance are all bookable.
The only minor criticism is the praising of the book in a didactic way (“This is the best book in the world!”) instead of allowing the beauty of the show to demonstrate this less explicitly. It threatens to misrepresent the show as a marketing endeavour.
Thankfully the talent of the crew and performers, stellar writing, imagination and flawless execution prevent this from happening.
Read: Theatre review: Hometown, Claremont Showground
IMAGINE LIVE is highly recommended to pretty much anyone. Expect it to win a raft of well-deserved awards.
IMAGINE LIVE adapted by Jolyon James based on the book by Alison Lester
Arts Centre Melbourne
Tickets: $32
Writer/Director/Designer: Jolyon James
Assistance Director/Actor: Ashlea Pyke
Stage Manager: Anna Pidgeon
Cast: Aubrey Flood and Ashlea Pyke
Lighting Design and Production Manager: Benjamin Van Dillen
Assistant Producer: Darcy Van Dillen
Access Consultant: Eliza Hull
Sound Design: Justin Gardam
Composer/Musical Director: Nate Gilkes
Producer: Nic Clark
Actor/Digital Puppeteer: Phillip McInnes
IMAGINE LIVE will be performed until 11 January 2025.
