The Stage

Michael Rosen’s Pinocchio

Published Wednesday 19 November 2008 at 12:00 by Susan Elkin

Played on Laura McEwen’s delightfully ramshackle set, from which all manner of wonders emerge, this version of Pinocchio is unfolded by an apparently hopeless troupe of actors who have lost their wooden puppet, so one of them (Ian Street) has to volunteer for the role. As a unifying device it works well and enables a lot of rather good self-referring theatrical jokes, such as hanging a “pretend” Pinocchio because the actor “isn’t really a puppet”.

Street gives us an appealing, elfin Pinocchio - naughty but vulnerable in the Just William/Horrid Henry tradition.

Because Carlo Collodi first wrote it as a series of stand-alone stories in a 19th-century children’s newspaper, Pinocchio is episodic, so it adapts happily to theatre - especially with Michael Rosen’s slick, witty, compelling script. Michael Glasstone’s songs are tuneful and funny and very adroitly accompanied by the cast who are all actor/musicians.

All five cast members are strong - I loved Peter Savison’s gravitas and voice work, and Morgan Philpott’s caddish cat - but Philippa Buxton and Daniel Gott deserve a special mention. Sweet-voiced and versatile as the Blue Fairy and an eclectic sequence of other roles, Buxton - in her first professional job - shines as both singer and actor. She’s no mean saxophone, penny whistle and percussion player either. And Gott’s folksy, busker-style accordion and piano playing, along with some fine acting, added a lot to the quality of this enjoyable show. Should be another hit for Polka.