PINOCCHIO is not a traditional Christmas show - but then neither is Peter Pan at the Arena - and it is to the Company of Ten's credit that their seasonal offering invites and receives so much audience participation.
There is more than one villain, plenty of singing and dancing and, of course, a suitably happy ending.
Children in the audience at the Abbey Theatre this week were clearly captivated by the show and, in true pantomime fashion, it was their comments in the stalls which brought the house down.
But that is not to detract from theCompany of Ten's efforts which have resulted in a good fun Christmas show which offers an alternative to pantomime but retains its best features.
The story of the puppet who becomes a real little boy after a series of adventures and a conscience makeover is a well-known one.
In Jack O'Brien as Pinocchio, the Company of Ten has a young star in the making and the moment his nose grows and grows as he tells one fib after another delighted the audience.
His joint transformation with Alessia Procaccini's Lampwick into donkeys in the second act was the high spot of the show - plenty of rehearsals must have gone into all that braying!
Samantha Bingley added a lively Mr Cricket with a fine line in comedy and Lauren Haward was a soothing Blue Fairy.
Taking the villainous adult roles were Adam Davolding whose Mr Fire Eater got the audience hissing and booing while Fenella Adams was a suitably nasty Ringmaster.
Children from the Let's Dance School of Dancing brought colour to the chorus, and the musicians, Graham Thomson, Ally Brown and Gareth Covey-Crump, were consistently good throughout.
Pinocchio is directed by Leo Smith and Katherine Barry. It runs until December 30 and details of performances and tickets are available from the box office on 01727 857861.
MADELEINE BURTON
PUPILS were so captivated by the story of Pinocchio that they created their own puppets to illustrate the story. Youngsters at Mandeville JMI in St Albans who belong to the Captive8 book club have been studying the story of the wooden toy who comes Lampwick and a dog and cat. to life.
They decided to make puppets to illustrate the story which is being shown as the Company of Ten Christmas production at the Abbey Theatre in St Albans. The figures they created included Pinocchio himself, Lampwick and a dog and cat. Although Pinocchio is a string puppet, the others are silhouette-and-stick puppets made with papier maché and modelling clay. The puppets are on display at St Albans Central Library as part of a display of Guiseppe's workshop which has been created by the Company of Ten to publicise their show. .
© Herts Advertiser, December 2005. Reproduced by permission