Mini review: Anton and Olaf, a fruity fairytale

MIDSUMMA
Anton and Olaf: a fruity fairytale
La Mama
21 January 2015
La Mama courtyard
to 1 February
midsumma.org.au

La Mama's Midsumma show for kids is Anton and Olaf: a fruity fairytale.

There's no squeezing into the dark theatre, as this puppet adventure made from cardboard and fruit uses  the outside courtyard – all the way down to the street. There are trees, big umbrellas and lots of coloured parasols for shade; cushions, rugs and chairs to sit on; water spray bottles; and frozen treats at the end. 

Chris Molyneux and Zenta Schuber tell the story about two kings and an empress (Jack Beeby, Russ Pirie and Annabel Warmington) who need to decide who's going to rule the kingdom. The cardboard sets and puppets are gorgeous, and the messages that women are powerful and that being nice is better than being mean are always winners. The performers are terrific, but the story needs to tighten up (including less impro for the adults) and have some real stakes.

The ridiculously wonderful children's writer Mem Fox says this about trouble (stakes) in children's books: "The trouble must be trouble on a grand scale. It must be the kind of trouble that works its way into the depths of children’s souls and makes their hearts sink into bleakness and despair. Momentary despair, of course!" The book she is talking about is Where is the Green Sheep, a picture book of 190 words.

Never compromise on story when writing for children; they'll love you all the more for it.

None of which makes thus fruity show any the less fun. Make your grown-ups take you.

Photos by Dorine Blaise

Reveiw: Closed for Maintenance

Closed for Maintenance
La Mama
13 July 2014
La Mama
to 13 July 2014
lamama.com.au

Closed For Maintenance celebrated the history of La Mama and created a theatrical experience that was so much more than a sit-and-watch play.

From the adventure of going in from the back laneway (and finally knowing where that door leads to) and being dressed in protective gear, there was a sense of nervous excitement and anticipation.  And it was fulfilled.

This was one of those rare occasions when the audience really were a part of the show. Watching the caretaker (Chris Molyneux) and listening to his stories about shows was wonderful, but it was only a part of the experience. What made this so fun was watching other audience members react and interact with the actors, seeing people discover something in the design, or discovering a tiny design gem that you know no one else but you saw. I had a moment when the man trapped in the box drew a picture on a post-it note and handed it to me. I have no idea if anyone else saw it; I kept the post-it.

Meanwhile, forget visceral experience, there was the literal experience of being in darkness with strangers and not knowing what is around the corner and the feeling a snowstorm of foam without knowing what it was, and then bubbles, water and smoke.

It was remarkable how such a tiny space could be made to feel so mysterious and so large. There were memories from so many past La Mama shows. Some I remembered, many I’d never heard of but now feel like maybe I was there, even if I wasn’t living in Melbourne at the time.

This kind of nostalgic celebration could have so easily been a static display or a panel discussion or a website, but Closed For Maintenance made it an experience; an experience that was unlike anything that had been at La Mama in the past and an experience that celebrated how La Mama supports and encourages experimentation, risk and art that refuses to fit into a neat and dull genre box.

And it was conceived, designed and created by Bronwyn Pringle, Melanie Liertz, Lisa Mibus, Pippa Bainbridge, Jessica Smithett and Jack Beeby.