‘Playbox Theatre’

Press, 23 January 1984, Page 6

‘Playbox Theatre’

“Playbox Theatre” written and directed by Alasdair Kincaid for the Riccarton Players at the Mill Theatre, Wise Street. January 21 to 29. Weekdays 6.30 p.m. Week-ends 2 p.m. Running time: 1 hour. Reviewed by Gerrit Bahlman.

Six tales told by an eightmember team of mischievous pups, aided and abetted by a Truthometer which recognises whether nursery rhymes are told truthfully. Farmer Jack leaves his two dogs tied in kennels while he visits his mate’s farm. But dogs being dogs they get helpers from the audience to free them and then the high jinks

begin. The stories are adapted for the cast from wellknown tales that children quickly recognise. The adult cast inject notes of corny humour which appeal to parents. The stories, “Little Red Riding Hood,” “The House that Jack Built,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” s Olly’s Euphonium,” “Seven Little Postmen,” and “The Pokey Little Puppy” are , linked by nursery rhymes. The use of props and lighting was elaborate for a children’s show with particularly apt choices of recorded music. In the “House that Jack Built” each character was introduced with a

different song. The Hallalujah Chorus from the Messiah introduced the priest that married the man and the maiden. The dog was cast as a gangster — each character was given a clever twist.

The company, Pearl Carpenter, Glenda Cooke, Mathew Evans, Nic Fara, Lita Neame, Bridget Phelan, and Howard Thompson, obviously enjoyed the opportunity to entertain children and gave an energetic performance. Even the director, Alasdair Kincaid, could not resist the temptation of joining in and performed the function of a clothes peg.