Winnie’s chums on a winner
IS there is a better-known bear than Winnie the Pooh? If there is, it would be very surprising.
A.A. Milne’s “bear of very little brain” has endeared himself to each new generation of children for nearly 100 years.
It is undoubtedly the innocence, the friendships and life lessons that form the most important parts of the stories, making it appealing to adults and children alike.
Props Youth Theatre’s current production introduces us to all the much-loved characters, including Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore and other residents of the Hundred Acre Wood.
The wood is excitingly brought to life in this production’s setting, Townsville’s Perfumed Gardens in the city heart.
Director Sonia Zabala has assembled a cast of 21 young actors, all aged between 6 and 18, to perform the major and ensemble roles.
Emma Monks as Winnie creates a loveable, cuddly version of the bear that we all remember.
With her years of experience in previous productions, it is certainly a perfect role for her.
Two actors play Christopher Robin, Lucia Torresi as the book reader and Georgina Wilde as the adventurer. Both are delightful.
Dominique Millican is Rabbit, and gives a standout performance. Other leads include Jaimee Oakley as Piglet, Jemma Saliba-hay as Owl and Byron Morris as the front of Eeyore and Thomas Talbot as the rear.
It was lovely to see a real panto donkey. Riley Johnston gave an animated interpretation of the Mysterious Strange Animal. In fact, all performances by the leads were great fun.
The rest of the cast played everything from trees, clouds, signs, bushes, little rabbits and bees to whatever else was needed to fill the space. Very young voices cannot be expected to project as well as the older actors, but everyone gave it a good shot.
Unfortunately, a number of the songs and poems were not able to be heard very well.
On the other hand, they all appeared to be having a good time and were undoubtedly learning as they went along. Experiences like this are so important in producing stage actors to ensure the future needs for theatre in the future.
Zabala has freely adapted the original stories and come up with an enjoyable mix of adventures. She is to be commended for bringing Winnie to the stage and opening the opportunity for so many youngsters to experience the joys of acting. Well done, Props Youth Theatre, for staging this school holiday production. Adults, rediscover your six-year-old self and join the sheer enjoyment with your children.
A hint – get yourself and the kids on the rugs as close to the performance area as allowed so you can hear every word.
Winnie the Pooh can be seen at the Perfumed Gardens, corner of Stokes and Walker streets in the city. It has its final performances this Saturday and Sunday mornings at 10. Tickets are available through nafa-tsv.com.au or at the entrance.