Pinocchio Theatre Review

Date: 27^th March 2018

Place: National Theatre, Southbank

o       Directed by John Tiffany

Musical Adaptations by Martin Lowe

Synopsis

Ø  A story that follows the life and adventures of a wooden boy who was made by his father, a carpenter. The story follows Pinocchio on his quest to become a ‘real boy’.

Ø  He is partnered with a cricket, Jiminy Cricket, who is his conscience and makes his decisions final and clear to Pinocchio.

Ø  They bring us on an inside journey from the forest to the circus, then to the traumatising ocean.

Ø  Dennis decided, with Martin Lowe, to use original Disney classics such as I’ve Got No Strings, Give A Little Whistle and When You Wish Upon A Star.

Key Themes

§  Wealth and appearance within social class – example; when Pinocchio tries to go to school and brings an apple, the other children find him weird and play a game around him, using his breakfast that his father gave him.

§  Mental stigmatism of injustice – example; where before the interval he was locked in a cage by the fox and cannot come out due to him being made of wood.

§  Fame – example; Stromboli told Pinocchio that the only way to become real is to have the opportunity to be a star.

§  Injustice  -example; The fox kept on selling Pinocchio to different people so that he couldn’t find a way to get back to his father.

§  Having a heart – example; when he is in the whale’s stomach. Though Jiminy Cricket is present,

The Staging and The Set

ð  The type of staging that was used was Proscenium Arch. This might have been used to allow big set, an example of this would be the circus entrance and the puppets used. Also the audience are on one side of the stage, creating a the fourth wall between the audience and the actors.

ð  The entrance to the circus. This type of set was immense and it was effective because the illusion of the sign, that was lit, showed to the audience how important the circus could be for Pinocchio and how it can make him become ‘human’.

ð  The colours used in the set were a mixture of bright and dark colours; emphasising the build-up of a dramatic climax which Pinocchio would go through alone, without Jiminy Cricket by his side to guide him along the way.

ð  There was often uses of the trap doors, located on Downstage Right (DSR) and Downstage Left (DSL). The actors would use this as not only an escape but an entrance or even a hiding place. Example; Pinocchio used this to sit when he was encountered by The Fox, and in his presence Pinocchio would always be frustrated and this is shown through the proxemics between the couple at times.  

Lighting and Sound

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