Making brilliant live theatre for small children is tricky, but Monkey Baa make it look easy.
A review of “Where is the Green Sheep?” at The Coliseum Theatre, Rooty Hill.
Small children are the best audiences in the world but also toughest. They don’t clap politely. They don’t pretend to enjoy themselves if they’re not having fun. They will just get up and wander off if they are bored. There was no danger of that during Monkey Baa’s Where is the Green Sheep?
“Where is the Green Sheep?” is a beloved picture book, a modern classic created by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek.
So, how do you adapt a treasured children’s picture book into an immersive visual theatre experience?
You’ve got to think about the size of the stage and the size of your audience. The Coliseum is a very big stage, and the stalls were crowded with hundreds of tiny children, slightly bigger children, and their grown-ups. That means you’ve got to fill that space with wonders. Think big!
You’ve also got to work out how you’re going to make the audio work. Monkey Baa wisely decided not to mic up any of their performers. Each of the three performers got to focus on puppeteering, dancing, movement and miming. The audio throughout is a bouncy mix of sparkly original music and lines read aloud by children from Bankstown West Public School.
The stage is a lovely green field with round hills and a big arched screen in a hill for projected animations. Colourful props are carried or rolled on and off stage throughout the show.
The big projection screen is a mixed blessing. Sometimes the interaction of the screen and puppets works brilliantly, for example with animated splashes for water for the Bath Sheep.
But it was interesting to watch and listen to the reactions of the children in the audience. Their response switched dramatically between animations projected on the screen and live puppetry on the stage. An animated sheep flying across the screen was watched, like it was a movie in the cinema or an animated show on the TV or a phone. No interaction. Just consuming it like filmed media. The reaction to the real live puppet sheep and live performers was completely different. Happy shouts and interaction, clapping and giggling. The difference was obvious from my seat in the audience.
The animated projections added something beautiful when they enhanced the live puppetry. A live sheep puppet flying a kite on screen. The moon and starry night sky. Rain falling. The interior of the circus tent. This brought the scenery alive. But an animation of a sheep? It’s no longer alive and real.
This was most striking with the Near Sheep and the Far Sheep. The Near Sheep was fully projected on screen, duplicating the pages of the picture book, but with the book, when the Near Sheep fills the page, it does look like that sheep is near to the reader. On the big screen on stage that sheep became the Gigantic Sheep, scaling up bigger and bigger until it filled the whole screen, looming over the three performers like Sheep-zilla.
In comparison the simple effect of the Far Sheep being taken off stage by a puppeteer and up the aisles to the back of the audience in the stalls brought whoops of laughter and instant understanding. The Far Sheep was far away from the people on the stage.
The sheep puppets, made by Kay Yasugi, are fabulous. Big, soft and squishy with some sparkles in their wool that catch the light. The three performers, Ebony Tucker, Michael Ho and Paul Grabovac, are absolutely world class.
Highlights? The Bath Sheep, the Rain Sheep and the Far Sheep.
The simplicity of a performer blowing bubbles was met with a huge cheer of ‘bubbles!’ from everyone and the Bath Sheep, splashing and being dried with a towel had the audience in stitches.
The Rain Sheep is beautiful and colourful, dancing around a lamppost and opening an umbrella, in a woolly tribute to Gene Kelly in “Singing in the Rain.”
Knitted hats off to everyone at Monkey Baa, with special mentions to director and writer for the stage Eva Di Cesare, and puppetry director Kailah Cabanas.
Monkey Baa’s adaptation of “Where is the Green Sheep?” is an absolute delight that everyone will love.
Monkey Baa’s “Where is the Green Sheep?” is touring New South Wales, Tasmania and the ACT. https://www.monkeybaa.com.au/shows/where-is-the-green-sheep
Oxford Falls Grammar’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a grand glossy, decadently drizzled, deliciously complex and rich in flavour musical… oh yes, it was a sensational WhippleScrumptious Fudgemallow Delight of a production!
Based on the novel by Roald Dahl, the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has delighted children and adults alike for 62 years, since its publication in 1964. It’s no wonder that the eccentric (some may call him ‘crazy’) purple coated, top hat signature style, whimsical Willy Wonka found himself and his fellow characters in a musical, featuring an original score by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and a book by David Greig. The musical also featured songs from the movie by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley.
This was a huge cast, with 21 main characters, 20 dancers and an immense 31 person ensemble sometimes having to be onstage all at the same time, notably for when the spoilt children meet their fates and the little Oompa Loompas appear to “help clear out” (I don’t think this review would contain any spoilers but if you have not read this novel or seen the musical, you wouldn’t know what an Oompa Loompa is, right?) Artistic Director Odessa R and Assistant Artistic Director & Stage Manager Megan G were tremendously talented in managing the large scope in putting this production on the stage.
The musical kicked off with the upbeat song, The Candy Man, as we are introduced to Willy Wonka played by Toby. After I had seen Toby perform this first song, I knew that the audience was in for a treat because of the way he introduced his character with quiet confidence and a little zany charm!
Charlie Bucket, played with pure sunshine-hearted goodness perfection by Grace, lives with her mum, played by Sierra and her four bedridden grandparents squeezed into bed, played by Christian, Zoe, Grace and Jack. Mrs Bucket works hard and is struggling to earn enough money to feed everyone. Sierra’s voice was showcased beautifully in a song, If Your Father Were Here, which she sings when Charlie is asleep, and when she dances with the memory of Charlie’s father, this added a quietly touching scene.
Soon we discover that Willy Wonka, after being mysteriously unseen for many years and his branded chocolate currently in the same way – unseen/ unsold – is now selling Wonka chocolate bars at a candy store near Charlie’s house. There is a new and exciting competition. Five Golden Tickets are hidden inside Wonka’s chocolate bar wrappers, and each Golden Ticket ensures the winner a tour into Willy Wonka’s factory and an opportunity to have a lifetime supply of chocolate! In quite a genius stroke of marketing, chocolate sales all over the world skyrocket with people scrambling to acquire a Golden Ticket, until all Wonka bars are sold out worldwide.
The announcements of the four winners are televised as the Candy Man shopkeeper (Toby) invites Charlie to watch each winner gloat over how they won their tickets. Jerry, played by Charlie and Cherry, played by Isabella, were the news announcers and carried the enthusiasm of the winners to the audience with pizazz.
The winners come from all over the world. The first winner is German child Augustus Gloop, played with cheerful hungriness by Xavier. His mum Mrs Gloop, lovingly played by Xenia, indulges her son in whatever he wishes. The ensemble’s German costumes added authenticity to the introduction of this initial lucky winner, with the song, More of Him to Love.
Veruca Salt, played by Caitlin is another winner from Russia. Alongside her father Mr Salt, played with a desperate-to-please-his-daughter stress by Nico, we see Veruca’s spoilt personality clearly with Caitlin’s performance of Veruca’s sharp demands, especially with the song When Veruca Says. I’m sure, not only me but many parents in the audience were cringing at her “I want!!” statements and feeling sorry for Veruca’s father. This wouldn’t be the first time that the audience would begin to appreciate our own wonderful children, as we meet the next 2 subsequent child winners and their outrageous personalities.
Pop diva wannabe American child Violet Beauregard, introduced with the song The Queen of Pop, is played by Poppy. She is the next winner and her father, the wealthy Mr Beauregard, played by Luka, panders to his spoilt daughter. Poppy held the stage as her character would, with her spoilt demands and her impressive dance moves.
The next winner, American Mike Teavee, played perfectly with the coolness of a teenager addicted to screens by Hilary, shook off all of Mrs Teavee’s attempts at affection with derisive looks and a swipe of the hand. I almost felt sorry for Mrs Teavee, played by Riley. Riley’s song That Little Man of Mine added to this feeling, although we do see hints of how Mrs Teavee has other addictions and how perhaps being addicted to something could run in the family.
After being blown away by the visual elements of this first act so far, and the dancing and energy of the spoilt children and pandering parents, it was an absolute contrast and joy to watch Charlie quietly unwrap a Wonka bar and be the final winner as she discovers the golden ticket. The audience was invested as we cheered Charlie’s discovery. I know I was beaming as Grace sang, “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket”. What a wonderful turn of the story to see Charlie run home and announce this exciting news to her family. It is here that Grandpa Joe gets the motivation to step out of bed (after 40 or so years!). Christian had the audience laughing as his wobbly knees slowly begin to work and he dances with Charlie and Mrs Bucket in celebration, even kicking his leg into the air – followed by him grasping his back!
The cast built up so much excitement and towards the end of the first act, there was genuine wonder for me as to how OFG was going to present the second act. I was looking forward to seeing inside Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, so much so that during the intermission I went out and bought a chocolate bar in anticipation! (Spoiler – it wasn’t a Wonka Bar, it was a Picnic, but I assumed it was because all Wonka bars had sold out).
The second act of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory didn’t slow down. It was filled with electric energy, stacks of humour and sometimes a little bit of kid-friendly horror as things begin to move forward and some elimination of candidates occur. I don’t want to say what happened in the second act. I will say that there was not one moment, which didn’t capture my attention. The dance sequences were phenomenal, with the cast moving in time together and showcasing their skills as a team. The three talented divas, Arrabella, Monah and Emma demonstrated their skills throughout the musical. Well done to choreographers Lauren T and Chelsea M for putting this together, to be so visually beautiful.
All the costumes, by co-producer Roxy M, were eye catching and clever in their design. As each winner was introduced, with the exception of Charlie, the ensemble appeared in complementary costumes that added to the character’s presence. Two standout costumes were Violet Beauregard’s suit after she snatched the three-course meal gum and popped it in her mouth against Willy Wonka’s wishes. I loved how Poppy cartwheeled across the stage in her purple puffed suit as though she was a rolling blueberry! The Oompa Loompa’s outfits were perfect, and the duo colour and stripes somehow made them look small.
The ever changing and colourful digital screens behind and either side of the stage, as well as the 3D print of the props, communicated to the audience exactly where the current scene was set. It was an impressive achievement by Dale D as every visual had so much to look at. The scene leading to Willy Wonka’s factory made me wonder what was inside there.
An integral part of a musical is the band and backing vocals. Oxford Falls Grammar had 22 extremely talented musicians and singers who carried the accompaniment and added sound effects throughout the whole performance. Situated at the base of the stage, the music was clear and beautifully executed, well done to all. Congratulations to Jimmy H, not only the conductor but also the co-producer and musical director of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He has succeeded in creating a dynamic and rich heartfelt musical that appeals to people of all ages.
There is wonderment, a little touch of magic, many belly laughs and of course, a world of pure imagination in Oxford Falls Grammar’s production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was difficult to believe that this was “only” a high school performance, as it reminded me of plays and musicals that I have reviewed, and given five stars to, in theatres around Sydney in the past. Given the remarkable effort that resulted in just three evening performances, I suggest considering a reprise at the end of the year. This could be advertised more widely and opened to the general public for ticket sales. I believe many people would be eager to attend and would greatly appreciate the incredible talent this school is contributing to the Northern Beaches community.
Bravo OFG, Bravo!
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Approximately 3 hours, with a 20 minute intermission C3 Auditorium, Dreadnought Road, Oxford Falls 23 April 2026 – 25 April 2026
