Reviewed by Laraine Ball
July 2011
Sesame Street may have been the inspiration for this wonderful fun production but the story is definitely not for kids. These Muppet/puppets are all grown up and entering into the adult world with all the problems entailed in that. Finding a job, an apartment and paying the bills not to mention trying to come to terms with relationships and their sexuality.
Producer/Director Matt Byrne has done a marvelous job with this show. The cast are fabulous, the accents are amazing and the pace is bright and bubbly and keeping the audience thoroughly involved from kick off until the final scene.
With this play it is really all about the standard of the puppetry and the whole cast with help from Choreographer Rebecca Payne did a brilliant job of bringing them to life along with their various personalities.
Some were definitely outstanding, David Salter as Princeton, Amy Hutchinson as Kate Monster, Dirk Strachan as Rod, Tegan Gully as Lucy T Slut spring to mind not to mention Kym Clark as the Trekkie Monster who stole the audiences hearts.
In the non-puppet stakes Rohan Watts shone as Brian the non-funny comedian; Megan Humphries was fantastic as Christmas Eve, Brian’s Japanese wife, she got the voice and the comic accent ‘welly good’ and Alisa James had a great time playing Gary Coleman the maintenance supervisor
Musical Director Peter Johns led the orchestra on his keyboard and the music was bright and upbeat throughout.
Sets designed by Russell Ford worked well and were very reminiscent of Sesame Street even down to the rubbish bins (sorry, trash cans) by every stoop. This feeling was further reinforced by the large media screen showing used for videos to good effect.
Overall this play was a magical way to spend a cold winter’s night, cheerful, energetic and great fun for all.
