Above image : Sam Moran and Bella Thomas as The Cat in the Hat and Jojo. Featured image- Ensemble members from Birdie Productions. Production photography by Grant Leslie Photography.
Birdie Productions brings professional talent and performers from open auditions to South West Sydney in this excitingly refreshed version of SEUSSICAL. The resulting ensemble is a cast with immense energy, range of experience and an attractive skill set. The depicted Seuss characters as assembled in the musical by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Aherns here showcase Dr Seuss’ genius whilst preserving his keen commentary on good and bad behaviour.
The audience follows Horton the Elephant’s quest to survive mockery, help friends and save the small inhabitants of Whoville as they drift to possible peril on a speck of dust. A scrim at the start of the musical confronts the audience with a quote which motivates us to accept the responsibility to help others. Newspaper clippings about children in detention then appear, providing a sobering reminder about need in our contemporary life.
This show champions the small, those needing help and those different to others in thought or appearance. Horton the Elephant constantly intones the famous and far-reaching Dr Seuss quote: “A person’s a person no matter how small.”. The tiny characters of Whoville fight to be heard, helped by their large friend. The young girl Jojo from Whoville navigates the world with a child’s directness as The Cat in the Hat takes her on a tour of the status quo.
That tour is achieved with terrific Seuss-like aplomb as Sam Moran encapsulates the role of The Cat in the Hat with eclectic verve. His narrative is a thrill to watch. His variety of spoken and sung elaboration as well as physical presence truly celebrates this Seuss character from the page with added finesse on the stage.
The gutsy young Who Jojo, played by Bella Thomas, shows considerable chemistry with Moran’s Cat in the Hat. This Helpmann award winner displays at all times her innate stage presence and ability to portray a character to its correct and believable emotional limit. The purity of tone in her singing is pleasingly matched by her directness of diction and standout management on this stage of Seuss’ syntax.
The ensemble support these narrators and other characters with disciplined movement, solid group vocals and characterisations of enjoyable emphasis. The opening unison choreography in Oh, The Thinks You Can Think! in front of Michael Watkins’ effective set is a fitting re-introduction to the skew scenic dynamism and page-turning action of Dr Seuss’ world.
They ensemble are at all times given great musical support from the reliable and slick enlivening of Stephen Flaherty’s score by the band under Fatima De Assis’ direction. Some instability with amplification across the ensemble for shifting solo lines will no doubt be corrected for future performances.
Costumed at all times with the bright, innovatively textured designs of Damien Ross and Elizabeth Franklin, this talented group packs an appropriate punch as it circulates the stage in small clusters or complete versions of its quite significant total number.
This musical works so well as it has many of the traditional theatrical elements we expect, retrieved from Dr Seuss’ tales. Villains, vanity, the underdogs, struggling heroes and unrequited love all get an airing in infectious rhyme. These concepts are clearly directed through the pastiche-to-narrative story and will be well received in the run of this production. No saggy moments exist in the show’s entertaining episodes.
In perfect villain guise throughout is the trio of Wickershams, the hip dancing monkeys. Attitude and moves dominate several scenes as they persecute poor Horton. Michele Landsdown is without equal in the Jungle of Nool as the Sour Kangaroo. She humiliates Horton and enters with command of the land and superb choice of voice for every declamation.
Scenes with Gertrude McFuzz (Lauren Lofberg) and Mayzie Labird (Tanya Boyle) are highlights of comic timing, as are those we quickly look forward to including the Mayor of Who (Callan Morony) and Mrs Mayor (Sally Redman).
Speaking of superb choice, this production has at its great big heart a consummate characterisation of Horton The Elephant’s genuine reaction and bravery. In a manner that would make Dr Seuss proud, Horton is gently gifted to us with subtlety on many levels by a compelling Levi Burrows. From the lullaby moment Solla Sollew as led by him to each riveting repetition of “a person’s a person no matter how small” we hang on every word, his every emotion and learn to live kinder.
SEUSSICAL continues at the Bryan Brown Theatre until August 28.