The misadventures of Pinocchio, the boy made of wood who longs to be a real child, are brought to the Oxford stage this November in a modern adaptation by Oxford Theatre Guild. Older children and adults both are bound to find this treat of puppetry, physical theatre and original music intriguing, entertaining – and just a little bit scary – as the lonely toy makes his way in a strange world of colourful characters, with not even his wits to fall back on. Family entertainment with a dark twist as the nights draw in.

Kind hearted but poor Gepetto the woodcarver longs to change his fortune so he uses his skills and imagination to carve a wonderful puppet, Pinocchio. Magically, the toy comes to life, and Gepetto raises the fun-loving boy as his own, with love. Sadly for Pinocchio, despite his dreams and ambitions to be an everyday boy, he is treated as the odd outsider by those around him. Numerous warnings and frightening encounters cannot keep the mischievous lad from telling tall tales and getting into trouble. Pinocchio’s extraordinary trust in everyone he meets, even the thieves and bullies, leads him into the darkest corners of society. Lost, lonely and afraid, it might be too late for him to learn the lessons that his father would have tried to teach him.

Pinocchio was originally written as a fantasy morality tale by its Italian author, Collodi, at a time when parents had strict rules about what good and bad behaviour looked like. In the 21st century, the temptations and challenges for our children may have changed but parents still seek control, often leaving kids adrift in a world their mums and dads don’t understand. This performance, devised from the original book with its cast of colourful characters and fantastical adventures, uses puppetry, physical theatre and live music to explore the darker elements of the story. It asks what the costs of manipulation and control are, and questions the value of conformity and obedience.

Will Pinocchio grow to understand, fully, what it is to be human? Or will his strange start in life be too big a hurdle for the wooden puppet to earn his place in his father’s heart as a real little boy? Come and find out…

This is a lively, imaginative, and entertaining rendition of a familiar tale. It’s only a teeny bit scary (much less so than the 1940 Walt Disney film in my opinion, which terrified me as a child) and would probably be fine for sturdier children under the suggested 10+ age.

Impressive live music from accordion and clarinet and well-executed song and dance are nicely integrated with the drama and performed with gusto by the multi-talented cast. The small stage space is used to the maximum by an elevated set and careful choreography, and a larger-than-life puppet Pinocchio is deployed to great effect in reminding us of his essential ‘otherness’ (which might be forgotten with ‘just’ a ‘real’ actor), and many further delightful and inventive theatrical surprises come thick and fast.

The character of Pinocchio is a difficult one to put over, as he is essentially a selfish, thoughtless, dishonest, and not especially likeable creature. This production did well in giving him a little more complexity, so that his (bad) choices became more understandable. The rest of the cast took on a variety of colourful roles very effectively, though the pace and nature of the tale possibly made the other characters more one-dimensional.

In all, this production is a lot of fun, if it does not entirely escape the confines of the original morality tale.

Blue Fairy 7 Nov 2019

Oxford Theatre Guild's collaborative production of Pinocchio is a real triumph as this classic tale is given a new lease of life. With a striking set, a talented cast (with live music, song and puppetry) and a remarkable larger-than-life Pinocchio puppet, this multi-layered tale was told with clarity, energy and charm, capturing both the power and subtlety of Carlo Collodi's 140-year-old account of a puppet boy on a rocky voyage of discovery. This was obviously a creation made with both love and hard work: it was tightly choreographed and the design was stunning. It was all too easy to get carried along on the immersive dream-like journey, finding yourself smiling at the lighter moments and cowering (slightly!) at the darker ones. You really should see this original, ambitious and moving show while you can.

Rockle 7 Nov 2019

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