'Big noise at Ft Issimo'

Press, 26 November 1979, Page 6

'Big noise at Ft Issimo'

By

Howard McNAUGHTON

“Big Noise at Fort Issimo,” by Bernard Goss and Charles Savage, Directed by Paul Sonne for The Court Theatre, Christchurch Arts Centre. Running time: 7 p.m. to 8.55 p.m. When the lead soldiers al the bottom of the toy cupboard hear a thunderous uproar from the shelf above they realise that they have been discarded from theii fort in favour of modern tovs. So they set off to recapture their stronghold, encounterng on the wav various other forgotten tovs in the Farm Yard, the Dolls House, and the Railway Station event' , ' , "v havins a «hoot-out with the newcomers. Tn r»voal more would he fn th* )»•*-» nf hut wjhv co” enlHiort ftmd iknrnoohrpc in the world of “Star Wars”

and that the quality of Pamela Maling’s costumes would not have been out of place in that film. It is, of course, primarily a children’s show, ideal for the age group between four and 12. However, Saturday I evening's audience was ; almost exclusively adult, and ; from the almost continuous laughter and participation it !was obvious that the play has a lot to offer in terms of regression, particularly to those in a frolicsome end-of-year mood looking for stylish, light-weight entertainment. Adults taking ■ children are guaranteed a good time. The kingpin in sustaining the atmosphere is the Clown who acts as presenter; in Cliff Wood’s nerformance, there is a tongue-in-cheek ■ casualness that effectivelv caters to those who feel rhev rna” have outgrown sn»np of t h e lau-hs. To small children, he will be iust a clever, very amusing clown. . Fifteen actors do 24 parts,

so that the development of the story is lively, with plenty of diversity. The script requires more of the actor physically than intellectually, and everyone obviously enjoys the retreat into caricature. Every part has its popularity, but the favourites with Saturday’s audience were Judie Douglass’s Fenella Fullbucket the cow (standing in for the cavalry in the finale), Stuat Alderton’s Mr Chuff the train (taking all the soldiers on a delightfully-presented journey!, Wickham Pack’s Baa Lamb (prematurely docked), and Paul Sonne’s Mrs Scratchit (sporting the longest pair of chicken legs ever seen outside Kentucky). Such an elaborate production is heavilv dependent on the high quality of its costumes, its lighting (David Fitzgerald), and its complex and colourful sets (designed bv S ; mon Allison, built by lan Boswell). Seeing all this accommodated so smoothly is a hi"h tribute to The Court’s efficiency.