Review of ‘Pinocchio’: “Well strung together, but still needing to be showed a few ropes”

London’s Theatre Royal Stratford Eats welcomes its seasonal family panto with this original retelling of the childhood classic. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if this funky revision of the wooden puppet tale is good enough for audiences to log in.

When I say Krik, you say Krak. When I say Krik, you say, Krak. When I s– Well, I think you got the idea… And without a doubt, so did everyone in the audience last Saturday (kids, grownups and undefined alike), when this new funky, rappy version of Jiminy Cricket (come and sue me, Disney) slid onto the stage, headphones on (and spring antennas too), to start the show – giving us what, in all honesty, felt like one of the most engaging openings theatre in general has offered in a very long time; perhaps longer than the protagonist’s trunk-looking signature feature. May I remind you that this is family piece?

From that moment on, the children were in. And with them, so was that stirring, one-of-a-kind energy that kept electrifying its atmosphere until the very end. The exhilaration couldn’t be higher. And amidst that intoxicating clout of joy and excitement, one couldn’t help but wondering: could it be that the moral representative of the story’s paradoxical surname has got the attention of, at least, a few?

Alright – easy now. You can relax after that big gasp (I know that might have been a bit too much – I warned the photographer too…). But seriously, what’s to be actually taken in that way when it comes to a panto? We all know what we expect, even when we bring the little ones along, if we’re watching a montage belonging to the most quintessentially British genre there could be. We want camp, we want adult puns and jokes we expect other groups won’t get (though they surely learn fast…), and we want a retelling of a classic fable to be relived in the most magical, interactive and (why not?) uproariously stupid manner we could possibly have.

The Theatre Royal Stratford East seems to have fulfilled that expectation – at least, to some extent. Following a vast tradition in the field for a few decades now, the London venue has turned its eyes onto the Italian lore – handling one of the most beloved recounts that has captivated generations for over a century ever since its inception. Turned into a hipster, offbeat extravaganza merging Collodi’s themes with a retro-futuristic makeover, this new version, delivered under the direction of Omar F. Okai, enhances both the allure and fun of the original material while channeling through a strong taste of its own style and individuality.

Also displaying an original repertoire by Robert Hyman (Music and Lyrics) and Trish Cooke (Book and Lyrics), the production counts on a rather solid set of elements that make of it a competitive option in its territory. However, there are still a few extra steps to be taken before this one can be considered at the top of its game – able to entertain and even bewilder at some moments, but showing some problems in pacing and structure when it comes to both narrative and the overall feel of the piece.

With an over expositional first half of Act One (even by the standards of a work meant for people of all ages), some of the songs fail to convey enough rhythm and movement to the narrative altogether. They are, essentially, very much enjoyable, but more than a few times do we feel as if they’re not contributing enough to what’s happening within the account.

Of course, pantos are supposed to use those tools for amusement purposes too, but the problem arises when those more traditional moments are not included as much as we would hope for. There’s no doubt that any artform can (and should) evolve following the intuition its creators are driven by – but that only works when it’s done to bring something else, and potentially bettering, to the whole thing. There’s no question this production feels compelling, but there’s a subtle vibe of absence floating around, stemming from a slight lack of a purer approach to the genre, but especially a mild sense of underdevelopment from a dramatic perspective.

Anyhow, there are still many components to be acknowledged, and even praised, all through the production – starting with Stewart J. Charlesworth’s beautifully executed set and costume designs, flaunting good imaginativeness as well as enchanting whimsicality, and continuing with Bretta Gerecke’s rather intricate and quite complementing lighting.

In addition, the company boasts great rapport and aptitude in their performances – with many of them also exuding a good deal of robustness all along. Among them, the highest praise goes, on the one hand, to panto veteran Michael Bertenshaw as the Blue Fairy, for his spellbinding, dry-humour-based rendition, able to effortlessly charms any viewer at the flick of his wand (again, this is a family show…).

Furthermore, Nicole Louise-Lewis makes another lasting impression as Krik Krak – bringing intoxicating stamina to her personage while at the same time exhibiting superb vocal skills. However, the biggest mention goes to Dylan Collymore as Pinocchio, presenting a character built upon grace and appeal, while also endowing him with doses of showmanship through his quite enthralling depiction of the always good-hearted troublemaker.

Absorbing to a very decent degree, and lumbered with nothing else but true diversion and talent, the Stratford East’s panto version of Pinocchio is far from making contact with dead wood – instead, helping the classic story everyone is so fond about to live on, despite Honest John’s reservations. It’s not perfect as neither is the boy that gives name to it. But regardless of its flaws, it’s its good assets that, in this case, prevail. It’s nice enough to get both you and your Christmas into the seasonal spirit. I don’t need to lie, things are pretty big for me already…

All pictures credit to Craig Fuller.

Pinocchio plays at London’s Theatre Royal Stratford East until 4 January. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara