Badjelly the Witch wickedly good
Young cast shows professionalism and stagecraft
Badjelly the Witch by Spike Milligan, New Plymouth Repertory Society Adapted as a play by Alannah O’Sullivan. Codirected by Nicola Bleasel and Sharren Read with musical direction by Antony Saywell. October 21-November 4. Reviewed by Ilona Hanne
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(This review refers to the “red” cast of the show. Another cast plays on alternate days.)
The magic of Spike Milligan is beautifully bought to life in this production of Badjelly the Witch. All of the Milligan silliness and fun is drawn out with every moment, thanks to the talented cast and crew.
The play itself is a great choice for a youth theatre show, and codirectors Nicola Bleasel and Sharren Read have taken a playful approach to the retelling of this magical fairy tale, allowing the cast to have plenty of fun as they take the audience along on the adventure with them.
As Rose (Esther Quinn) and Tim (Oliver Kenny) search for Lucy, their cow (Katie Duggan), they learn she has been cow-napped by Badjelly the Witch (Maeve Quinn) — the baddest witch in the world, assisted by Dulboot the giant (Amber Cayley). As the siblings venture into the forest to rescue their cow, they meet all sorts of interesting characters along the way, including Dinglemouse (Lacey Allen), Binklebonk the tree goblin (Rose Bayliss), Mudwiggle (Sofia San Diego), Jim an eagle (Zoe Smith), and even a policeman-turned-apple tree (Lucie Pellicer).
Every member of this young cast (ages range from 9 to 16) have clearly put in the work during rehearsal and taken on all directions given, as they give polished and engaging performances. Some older actors could take notes from some of this cast, as clear voice projection, great physicality and lines are delivered with great timing throughout.
There are some standout performances, with Amber Cayley’s Dulboot being great fun to watch. Amber’s physicality and facial expressions are brilliant, getting plenty of deserved laughs, and it is to be hoped she continues in theatre, as she is a talented young actor.
Sofia San Diego plays Mudwiggle the worm, as well as PomPom the Cat and one of the Trouser Robbers, and she is certainly another young actor to watch. She owns the stage when she is on it, and doesn’t miss a beat in any of her roles, never stepping out of character, even for a split second.
Maeve Quinn’s Badjelly is nicely balanced between fun and just a little bit scary — ensuring she isn’t too terrifying for a young audience, while still convincing them she is truly the baddest witch of all.
Oliver Kenny and Esther Quinn as Tim and Rose are a nice pairing. They work well together on stage and do a fantastic job of taking the audience with them on their adventures. Some of their best moments are when they are talking with Dinglemouse (Lacey Allen), who demonstrates her versatility as she switches between the lovable mouse that was once a banana and her other role as Silly Sausage. Lacey is another young actor who has mastered full-body acting brilliantly, and she immerses herself fully in both roles.
Under Antony Saywell’s musical direction, the young cast hit the right notes with their musical numbers and rise to the challenge of competing with a fairly loud audience of excited children.
All the actors benefit from some fantastic costuming in this show — Belinda Hunt has done a magnificent job in the wardrobe department, with well thought-out costumes, nicely complemented by Dena Moss’s makeup design. From an eagle with a Biggles-style flying helmet to the wonderful green grasshopper costume for Silly Sausage, each wardrobe item is effective and, combined with makeup, adds an extra layer to the overall production.
The set and props teams have also done a wonderful job in bringing the magical world of Badjelly to life, with some great scenery making the stage seem much bigger than it actually is.
With a lesser cast on stage, there would have been a real risk of the set stealing the spotlight, but with this cast it was an equal match, with the set matching the cast’s high standard.
Nicola Bleasel and Sharren Read are thoughtful directors who have given this much-loved story a glowup by capturing the silliness of Milligan and presenting it with a childlike, playful feel to it that will be enjoyed by a young audience and their supervising adults alike.