The Evening Herald • Oneinseven Magazine
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Evening Herald
Bill Stone
December, 2005
This adventure story for the two-to-seven-year-olds, set in medieval times, has contemporary touches with a vegetarian dragon, a message about recycling and another advising that if you don't try, you won't achieve anything.
The tale centres on Jape. His father Wit is the hugely entertaining court jester whose speciality is juggling, which he demonstrates with balls, sticks and scarves. And he's no mean shakes at legerdemain either. Jape wants to be as good as his father, but he's not, and his father doesn't understand him. The future looks gloomy for the lad. But Jape does have one special talent - he can make interesting and useful things out of old bits and pieces, objects which his father calls "thingies".
One day Snow turns up and blankets the world in white. He and Jape immediately become friends, and after larking in the snow they set off in a flying machine Jape constructs but crash lands. Jape falls through the ice on a pond and is rescued by a dragon. Then hey meet a polar bear, and a unicorn, all of whom can talk. Eventually the unicorn carries them home, where Wit is overjoyed to welcome back his son. Both recognise that Jape's talent at making "thingies" is as desirable and worthy as Wit's is to entertain. But Snow is melting away as spring approaches. As they wave sad goodbyes they all look forward to meeting again next year.
There's a magical, beautifully lit set, colourful costumes, medieval-sounding music and fantastic animal masks. Hambi Pappas as Jape, Ben Neale as Wit and all the fabulous animals, and David Sands as Snow, who conveys all his dialogue by sign language, make the hour playing time flash by. A gorgeous treat for the little ones.
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RNID Oneinseven Magazine
Dawn Dimond
December, 2005
**** (four stars)
My Friend Snow After a shaky start (on taking our seats for the matinee performance of Half Moon Theatre's new touring production our two-year daughter looked at me belligerently and declared loudly: "Home!") she - and we - settled down for 50 minutes of enchanting entertainment. Director Chris Elwell's play for 2 - 7 year-olds features enough tunes, tumbles and fantastical characters to thrill any child, with integrated sign language throughout. Within minutes our daughter was gesticulating wildly at the mysterious character 'Snow' (award-winning deaf actor David Sands) who befriends the sad and lonely Jape the Jester, who despairs of ever being as funny as his famous dad, Wit. Snow takes Jape on a flying journey to meet a variety of magical creatures who bolster his self-esteem and make him realise there is more to life than doing what's expected of you. By the journey's end Jape realised he has different talents to offer and there's just time for a touching reconciliation with his dad before Snow's energies melt away. The thought-provoking pay-off may have gone over the heads of the smaller members of the audience but the energy of the performers sent everyone home happy.
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