Review: The Amazing Adventures of Pinocchio at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre*

TheStafford Gatehouse Theatre puts on great Children’s themed performances during most school holidays, which is great if you want to spend a day being thoroughly entertained by a fun play, musical or storytelling tale. This is a great way to fill your time during the holidays when you’re all done with days spent outside or indoor days doing crafts. I know that finding things to do with my three is a challenge during half term, so when we were asked to review The Amazing Adventures of Pinocchio, the latest instalment to the Stafford Gatehouse’s school holiday calendar, we jumped at the chance.

The Amazing Adventures of Pinocchio, is based on the classic novel by Carlo Collodi, who wrote the story in the late 1800s. Most of us are probably most familiar with the Disney version, and perhaps can’t get past there being a better story than this one but you really won’t be disappointed. This is a fun-packed musical with tonnes of crowd interaction, which really keeps young children focused on the performance. We particularly liked the sets and the part that replicated the whale swallowing up Geppetto and Pinocchio. It was done using shadow puppets and lights to make the blue sea move. We laughed and danced and really felt the effects of this magical performance – easily as magical as Disney (this is coming from a true Disney fan!!).

The Amazing Adventures of Pinocchio (this is something to note that these holiday performances are usually just on for one day – so be sure to check what the next one is so that you can plan it around your kids time off from school) was performed by the Immersion Theatre, who are touring with the this musical throughout the UK in Spring 2019 (from April – June), so if you missed it here you might find it at another location near youhere.

Immersion Theatre group were set up in 2010 and have productions that include, comedy, musicals, dramas and outdoor and family theatre. Many of their performances are family based but they also do several Shakespeare adaptations, which shows the vast variety of what they have on offer. The theatre company really provides you with great quality performances and the cast are truly an all round performers. There were only five members of the cast on stage, and most played several characters, this really worked well as they moved from person to person, and you really could tell a difference in their personalities. We loved the fox and blue fairy, who transitioned from school teacher to, child and also a cat! Each of the Actors sung and danced with ease and really filled the stage considering there were so few of them, this really is the skill of the production.

The set was simple but interchangeable but the thing that impressed my eldest son the most was the lighting and effects from behind the stage. They really helped with adding drama to each of the scenes. Overall this is a great way to fill up your holiday with something different and fun and much more immersing than the cinema…. due to the fact that at almost every moment you are interacting with the cast on stage.

The Cast 
AVEEN BIDDLE Cricket and various other characters 
COREY JONES Pinocchio 
GRACE GALLOWAY The Blue Fairy, Kat and other characters 
WILLIAM BRYANT Geppetto, Collodi the Circus Master and other characters  
WILLIAM HAZELL Fox and various other characters.