The Book of Everything
Whitireia Performance Centre, 25-27 Vivian Street, Wellington
26/04/2011 - 30/04/2011
Production Details
THE BOOK OF EVERYTHING centres on nine‐year old Thomas, a little boy who dreams big. This magical tale follows the story of a child, who sees things others cannot imagine, and whose spirit and curiosity win over those around him. Thomas is writing a book. His father says all important books are about God. Even so, Thomas writes down all the interesting things he sees that other people seem to ignore ‐ tropical fish in the canal, a deluge of frogs, the Son of God popping in for a chat – and calls it The Book of Everything.
WHITIREIA THEATRE, 25‐27 Vivian St, Wellington
26 April‐1 May. Tue‐Sat @ 7.30pm, Sun @ 4pm.
$18/$14
BOOKINGS PHONE 04 238 6225 or ONLINE WWW.WPAC.ORG.NZ
LONG CLOUD GOES DOUBLE DUTCH
With 16 actors performing in New Zealand premieres of two Dutch plays, Long Cloud is celebrating the whakapapa of its artistic director Willem Wassenaar. In this production season the talented young actors throw themselves in the bizarre, fragile, and intriguing worlds of WELCOME TO THE WOODS and THE BOOK OF EVERYTHING, to be performed at the new Whitireia Theatre from 19th April until 1st May.
Artistic Director Willem Wassenaar: “Finally I am able to share the best of Dutch theatre in New Zealand. I have been waiting for an opportunity to present a specific Dutch sensibility that resonates with New Zealand audiences. These two plays with each their own unique styles are a wonderful playground for the Long Cloud actors to shine and showcase their magic.”
Long Cloud Youth Theatre is a hothouse for New Zealand’s most exciting young acting talent. Long Cloud, run by Whitireia Performing Arts Company and based in Wellington, is a unique training and production company for young people aged 16‐21. The Company gives young actors the means to enhance their theatrical skills through practical performance experience and the opportunity to work with Wellington’s foremost theatrical directors and tutors. The program is led by award‐winning teacher and director Willem Wassenaar.
Company credits are DAUGHTERS OF HEAVEN (2011), EQUUS (2010), THE SEAGULL (2010), VERNON GOD LITTLE (2010), TITUS ANDRONICUS (2009), THE CRUCIBLE (2009), GRIMM & COLONY! (2008 & 2009) and SPRING AWAKENING (2008).
CAST
Fran Olds: Auntie Pie
Freya Sadgrove: Mother
Gussie Larkin: Margot
Michael Boyes: Jesus
Michelle Ny: Mrs van Amersfoort
Nathan Mudge: Father
Sam Phillips: Thomas
Vanessa Cullen: Eliza
CREW
Set & Costume Design: Daniel Williams
Design assistant: Emma Hough
Lighting design: Nathan McKendry
Photography: Michelly Ny and Philip Merry
Publicity Design: Laura Hewetson
Production Management: Alan Palmer & Laura Hewetson
1hr 30min, no interval
Plenty to ponder
Review by John Smythe 27th Apr 2011
Given Long Cloud Youth Theatre has established its brand in its first three years with some fairly torrid fare,* The Book of Everything rates as one of the more subtle explorations into the darker side of human existence.
As directed by Willem Wassenaar, Richard Tulloch’s adaptation of the book by Guus Kuijer opens very low key with a welcome from Vanessa Cullen, who will play Eliza the girl with the wooden leg. She reads the opening chapter of the book, which explains Kuijer’s plan was write about his own ‘Adventures of a Happy Child’, until a Mr Klopper – of a similar age – brought him ‘The Book of Everything’ in which he had written everything that interested him, despite his father saying the only good books were about God. Kuijer agreed to write about Klopper’s less than happy childhood instead …
What unfolds is the story of a family and neighbours in a South Amsterdam village in the summer of 1951, as experienced – and recorded in his book – by Thomas aged 9 (nearly 10), played with pitch-perfect depth yet innocence by Sam Phillips.
His is a classic God-fearing family, headed by an upright Father (Nathan Mudge) who works hard in an office and treats the family to Bible readings with dinner. Mother (Freya Sadgrove) is compliant and motherly. The sister, Margot (Gussie Larkin), is a hormonal teenager who knows how to manipulate her parents and taunts Thomas about his “infantile hallucinations”. So far so normal – and all very well played to capture instantly recognisable family dynamics.
Apart from the erratic bike-riding of Aunty Pie (Fran Olds) and the neighbouring Mrs van Amersfoort (Michelle Ny), who is reputed to be a witch, the scariest thing in Thomas’s life is the mythological Bum Biter. That and the readings from the Book of Exodus, what with all the Plagues of Egypt being brought down on the Pharaoh for not letting the people go …
Then Papa hits Mamma. Thomas can take being walloped with a wooden spoon for getting his catechism wrong but he hates his Father hitting his Mother and prays for all the Plagues of Egypt to smite him. It’s about then that a rather camp and whimsical Jesus (Michael Boyes) begins to appear to Thomas in various costumes.
Thomas is introduced to books other than the Bible by Mrs van A, discovers more about her real story, and writes a puppy-love letter to Eliza: a rare act of bravery that is rewarded. The calm centeredness of Cullen’s Eliza makes her especially intriguing.
But he has to confront his own cowardice when it comes to his controlling Father. So does his Mother. And his sister. They all deal with it in different ways, and because the production’s focus is firmly on the truth of this all-too-real situation, the drama is deeply compelling. Every character is played true to themselves, making them forces to be reckoned with by us.
Daniel Williams’ washing line set design starts pristine white then becomes more flesh-toned: an splendid device supported well by Nathan McKendry’s lighting. Williams’ costumes are excellent too, as is the clever way we all get to create a plague of frogs.
The non-naturalistic meta-theatrical elements support the story and its purpose well. What comes through clearly is the exposure of fear as the source of violence and the barrier to happiness. It all comes to a riveting climax and settles into a changed world of wiser, fear-free and therefore happier characters, leaving us with plenty to ponder. In short: go.
– – – – – – – – – –
*Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind (2008), GRIMM and Colony! (2008 & 2009), The Crucible by Arthur Miller (2009), Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare (2009), Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre (2010), The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exepery (2010), The Misanthrope by Moliere (2010), Equus by Peter Shaffer (2010), The Seagull by Anton Chekhov (2010), Daughters of Heaven by Michelanne Forster (2011), The Picture of Dorian Gray adapted from the novel by Oscar Wilde (2011) and, just last week, Welcome to the Woods by Alex van Warmerdam (translated by Erwin Maas).
_______________________________
For more production details, click on the title above. Go to Home page to see other Reviews, recent Comments and Forum postings (under Chat Back), and News.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
Comments