Pinocchio – Review

Pinocchio. Breaking Cycles and Z-arts 

Exeter Northcott

25th January 2014

Review by Saxon Mudge

Pinocchio is one of the most loved fairytales around, so when I discovered that the Breaking Cycles and Z-arts production set in Moss Side 1976 was touring, I was naturally very curious. On entering the Northcott Theatre that Saturday afternoon I was greeted by the bustling of excited children who were, in their own words, ‘waiting for magic to happen’. Needless to say they were not disappointed.

The production’s varied use of affects was particularly striking. There was puppetry, music, animated projections, shadow-screens, break-dancing, ballet, mime, smoke – and that was just the first act! In general they added an element of wonder to the show, especially the ingenious use of music and shadow during Pinocchio’s creation which was both emotional and spell-binding. It was therefore a shame when these affects were overused in some scenes, causing them to overshadow the dialogue; at times this broke the spell of the production and slowed its pace.

However, what cannot be faulted was Ryan Harston’s stunning performance as the title role, which proved him to be a fabulous actor as well as an impressive dancer. By combining dynamic body-popping with a mesmerizingly child-like voice he skilfully portrayed the naivety, energy and impulsiveness of a young child – both in movement and manners. What’s more, he managed to put a unique spin on the character, achieving the perfect balance between obnoxiously selfish and endearingly innocent.

Pinocchio was a sweet production which characters’ had the audience chuckling throughout, especially the amusing and oh-so grouchy puppet (voiced by Lane Paul Stewart), which reflected a grumbling goblin more than a cricket! Although the performance was slow at times, it was undeniably creative, being intricate, innovative and imaginative.

Pinocchio is currently touring the UK, and really is a retelling of Carlo Collodi’s classic like no other.