An nostalgic and heart-warming hour with Winnie The Pooh and his friends
Presented by: Life like Touring & Rockefeller
Reviewed: 18 August, 2023
Disney has a magical way of transporting an audience to another place. We’ve seen it in the stage adaptations of Aladdin, Frozen and Mary Poppins, and now Disney’s Winnie The Pooh is in town for a very limited season.
Audiences are taken through the four seasons in The Hundred Acre Wood as Pooh and his friends go on a series of adventures. The script weaves together several of the most famous moments from the original books and the Disney animations, including elements from The Blustery Day, Pooh searching for Honey and getting stuck in a tree, Tigger destroying Rabbit’s garden, and the search for Eeyore’s house. Although the story manages to fit a lot of content into an hour, not once is the dialogue rushed. It is well paced and clear. There are so many levels to the stories — there are great messages for kids, and nostalgia in bucket loads for the bigger ‘kids’ who grew up with Winnie The Pooh.
What makes this production extra special is how it makes theatre accessible for all ages. There are no sudden loud noises, the audio balance is perfect — it is a carefully, well considered piece of theatre.
The stars of the show, Winnie, Tigger, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Rabbit and Eeyore are beautiful puppets, operated and voiced by a team of incredible actors. Alex Joy carries the weight of the show as Winnie The Pooh. Joy’s puppetry work is stunning as he becomes one with Pooh. He has done a remarkable job at capturing Pooh’s iconic mannerisms. Rebekah Head operates Piglet and Roo, bringing her own wonderful interpretation to these adorable roles. The bouncing and lively Tigger (T I double Guh Rrrrrr) is enthusiastically operated by Jake Waterworth. Andrew McDougall operated Eeyore, Owl and Rabbit, showcasing his skills as an operator and voice artist. Kanga and a variety of other puppets (and Owl’s wings) are magically brought to life by Jemma Armstrong. Rounding out the cast is Jess Ridler who brings the show together as Christopher Robin.
The puppets, all made by Rockefeller Studios, are magical. Their skilled operators make you forget they are puppets — they become one, showing the puppets emotions or thoughts on their own faces, but never drawing attention away from what the puppet is doing.
The show is enhanced by the wonderful score that features original songs by The Sherman Brothers, stunningly arranged by Nate Edmondson. The animation-like set, designed by Rockefeller Studios, helps transport the audience into the magical world of Winnie The Pooh. The actors are costumed in blue ombres, which seem to make them blend into the sky, but also, as Christopher Robin is also in blue, highlights that the characters are all part of his imagination.
As Pooh always says, “Get your family together and take a heart-warming visit to the Dunstan Playhouse and the magical Hundred Acre Wood” (well, maybe that’s not quite a direct quote…). This is a show for the young and young at heart. It will leave you feeling warm and full of joy.
Reviewed by Ben Stefanoff
Photo credit: supplied
Venue: Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre
Season: Until August 20, 2023
Duration: 1 hour
Tickets: From $65.90
Bookings: https://www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/winnie-the-pooh
