These school holidays are you looking to tear your kids away from their computer screens to see something that is not only entertaining but challenging?! ‘Fox’, a co-production of Monkey Baa and Siren theatre companies, featuring a stage adaptation of the award winning picture book by Margaret Wild and Ron Brooks, is a good choice.

‘Fox’ charts the journey of Magpie after she is rescued by one-eyed Dog during a bushfire, who carries him in his mouth to his cave above the river and tends her burnt wing. They then go on to develop a friendship that extends over two full seasons. As they spend times together running through the bush, Magpie inspires Dog telling him, ‘Fly, Dog, Fly! I will be your missing eye and you will be my wings’. Magpie and Dog make a legendary team, that is, until Fox comes on the scene. Fox isn’t fussed by Dog at all, and moves in on his territory. Fox offers Magpie a much faster and smoother ride through the bush. Magpie is tempted…which way will she go, and how will she fare?!

This is the set-up to Margaret Wild’s charming, wistful story. Kate Gaul’s production tells the narrative in the form of a short children’s opera, and combines a compelling mix of an atmospheric score by Daryl Wallis, puppetry, dance, shadow work and an intriguing range of video projections.

For the stage adaptation Gaul adds the important part of Spirit, performed by soprano Sarah Jones, who plays the singing narrator of the piece. Nepean theatre graduate Jane Phegan played Magpie, ACTT’s David Buckely was the too loyal Dog, and NIDA graduate Jay Gallagher was compelling as the fierce, charismatic Fox.

A parable about the choices we make, our loyalties and our betrayals, ‘The Fox’ plays the York theatre, Seymour Centre until April 17 and then starts an extensive national tour that goes all the way through till the beginning of October, with the final performance taking place at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Wollongong on the 2nd October, 2010.

Performance reviewed:- Opening night- Saturday April 10, 2010 at the York theatre, Seymour Centre