The Adventures of Pinnochio, Opera North Newcastle Theatre Royal

By Gavin Engelbrecht

GENERATIONS have been captivated by the Adventures of Pinocchio and an audience ranging from seven to 70 turned out to be enthralled by Opera North’s take on the story.What made it all the more exciting was that this brand new production, premiered only in December, with libretto, music, stage set and choreography, seamlessly fitted together.Jonathan Dove’s score, which draws its inspiration from Glass, Janacek and Britten, to name a few, starts haltingly, but the music gains momentum and direction as the story moves on.And move on a apace it does, with central role of Pinocchio, affectionately portrayed by Victoria Simmonds, coupled with a solid performance from Jonathan Summers as Geppetto.In all there are 25 solo parts, many of them doubled. They include a chirpy Cricket brilliantly depicted by Rebecca Bottone, who was no less effective in her rendition of the Parrot. Mark Wilde as the Cat and James Laing as the Fox were deviousness personified.And the booming voice of Grahame Broadbent was put to good use as the towering Ringmaster, Big Green Fisherman and the Monkey Judge, who is lowered, swaying in his bench, from the ceiling.And the set, is an artwork in itself. At one stage the waves of sea, through which Pinocchio swims, emerge from the floor and then rise to reveal the cavernous innards of whale, where the puppet is reunited with Geppetto.While staying faithful to Carlo Collodi’s fable, Alasdair Middleton has created an inspired libretto with magic touches of humour. And the choreography by Nick Winston takes every note and beat of music into account, creating a constant motion. Children and adults alike lapped it up. Here’s hoping it will come around again.

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