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The
Sanity Clause II On Magdalen Road, between the Iffley & Cowley Roads, lies one of Oxford's lesser-known venues, the Pegasus Theatre. It's a trip out of Oxford centre that is well worth making, for here you will find Oxford Youth Theatre in Sanity Clause II, the most charming and uplifting production you are likely to see this Christmas. Based on Paul Gallico's novel, Love of Seven Dolls, the play begins as the timid Mouche, orphaned and friendless, is about to cast herself into the Seine. But she is saved by the unlikely appearance of a puppet-booth, home to seven eccentric puppets with very distinct personalities. Mouche is seduced by the playful, innocent nature and ready love of the puppets, who seem to have a life of their own, and agrees to accompany them on their tour. She finds happiness with the troupe - but is troubled by the bitter and unhappy puppet-master, Michael, for whom she comes to feel both love and hate. When Babotte, a gentle and boastful acrobat, proposes to her, the gap between Michael and his creations has to break down. The seven puppets - Jo Harlow's endearing Carrot Top and Joe Pike's wickedly rakish Reynardo stand out, but all are excellent - remind us inevitably of Disney's seven dwarves, but the play's closest relative is perhaps The Wizard of Oz. Like Dorothy, Mouche is an innocent abroad in a fantasy land, healing flawed and lonely souls with her generosity, and imparting simple but important messages about friendship and love. But there is a darker and more grown-up side to it, and the young actors playing the central protagonists - an outstanding Rachel Scurry as Mouche and Jon Doyle as Michael - portray a very complex, adult relationship with maturity. The entire cast, however, are excellent - full of confidence but not too cocky, handling both humour and pathos well and filling the stage with their energy and enthusiasm. They benefit from the brilliantly witty script and assured direction of John Nicholson and Mark Bishop. The script - like all good pantomime - is marked by a parodic, self-conscious vein of humour: at one point a representative of Paul Gallico's estate walks on, demanding money for the rights; elsewhere a character proclaims her disgust at the number of French stereotypes in the play. Yet this cleverness by no means detracts from the play's serious message and the delightful performances. We are also treated to some marvellously inventive stagecraft. The shimmering blue ribbon which represents the Seine; the puppets' animal masks; café and street scenes brought to life by music, costumes and music - the directors and cast creatively employ limited resources to animate a pastiche of 1950s France and a surreal, magical vaudeville world. All in all, an unexpected joy that will have you laughing and singing but which might also bring a tear to your eye. Get down to Magdalen Road before it's too late (and watch out for The Christmas Joke - the play's title will be explained!) George
Tew, 16.12.03 |