They had every child and adult studiously rapt for the whole 70 minute play. These moments, and these wondrous human-animal beasts were pure theatre magic. Particularly stunning are those scenes when these magnificent creatures with enormous wingspans fly across the stage, lit very minimally to make them all the more exquisite. Incredibly light footed and agile, these dancer-pupeteers unleash the silent and graceful power of the birds, who know the land intimately and ultimately never die, but rather are absorbed back into a greater universal energy. The puppets are brought to life via the seamless talents of Shaka Cook and Michael Smith, under the guidance of Puppetry Director Peter Wilson. This is executed via strikingly beautiful, intricately crafted pelican puppets made by Annie Forbes and Tim Denton of AboutFace Productions. This beautiful element also creates a quiet dialogue about a much needed but lacking respect that exists for animals, the environment, and the Indigenous understanding of these things. Without ever being seen or heard by the humans, they watch over them always, supporting them through chaos, and whispering to them during tragedy. All the characters learn about themselves through each other, and the audience observes the beauty of their relationships as they morph from mysterious and shaky, to loving and solid.ĭirector John Sheedy has brought something most incredible to this production that was absent from its film interpretation: the personification of dreamtime spirits who channel through the pelicans. Despite his kind nature, the father is afraid of Fingerbone and aggressive initially, but the boy befriends him immediately – the story’s first nod towards the wisdom of children. The child’s only human company are his father – a quiet fisherman driven to extreme introversion by life’s knockdowns – and ‘Fingerbone’ Bill, an Aboriginal man who also lives in isolation on the beach, but shares his knowledge of the land and wildlife unequivocally, with great warmth and humour. The reason: a well-loved story that has been a hallmark of Australian children’s literature for years (later a film adaption just as beloved) which is now a stage production written by Tom Holloway – Colin Thiele’s Storm Boy.Ī little boy and a pelican become the unlikely heroes in this wonderful tale set on a remote beach in South Australia. Four of them were hogging the only pool table in the bar area when I arrived, and more soft drinks and mini-burgers were bustling towards tables than beers or wines this night. The mood at STC last Wednesday night was markedly more boisterous and lively than usual. Essentially Storm Boy can produce any type of weather pattern imaginable, as well as other phenomenon such as tornadoes.Michael Smith, Rory Potter, Peter O’Brien and Trevor Jamieson in STC & Barking Gecko’s Storm Boy. Storm Boy has used it to produce blizzards, summon lightning bolts, fly using air currents, produce fog and generate winds.
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