Review-The Animals and Children Took to the Streets-Hong Kong Arts Fest
22-2-13
"The following few months were spent wading around in a quagmire of bad ideas..."- Director's Notes
By: Meaghan McGurgan
That was one of the best shows I have EVER seen in my life. It was brilliantly conceived, designed beautifully and acted to perfection. If you have not purchased tickets to 1927's production then RUN to the boxoffice and see if you can get a spare seat. (We have just been notified that this show has sold out... Perhaps you'll find spare one on Asia Expat?)
The Animals and Children Took to the Streets originally premiered at the Sydney Opera House before returning to the UK for a stellar run where it won several awards for its stunning designs and concepts (including the Off West End Award for Best Entertainment.) The Animals and Children Took to the Streets has been on an international tour since 2012. It's a fantastic fusion of animated film and live theatre. You are immediately thrust into a world that is Fritz Lang meets Antonin Artaud in a gothic noir fantasy world where anything can happen, from cockroaches wearing top hats to little girls losing their heads in a game of keep away.
The show is incredibly witty and smartly written by playwright/director Suzanne Andrade. Be prepared to hear some "5 dollar words" as my mama calls them. It's so clever that some of the audience didn't get the jokes. Sometimes for the better as the small child behind me turned to his mother to ask "What's crystal meth?"
The thing you must see this show for is the scenic design created by animating team Paul Barritt and Derek Andrade. It was what made the story so dark and whimsical at the same time. Digital scenic designs can be very controversial. I'm usually a big hater of them but this is a digital set design done correctly. I can't hate on this one. It's awesome. Lillian Henley's musical score was the icing on the cake and created a tapestry of moments that solidified the emotions in each scene. You can tell she has a background in scoring silent films.
Acting was perfectly in sync with the projections. Kudos to the trio of performers who took on a multitude of colorful characters. The voice overs were a really nice touch to the production and helped give it a Seussian feel. A special kudos should be given to their stage manager and technical crew who executed all the projections. Without their hard work and perfect timing the show would not have been. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and now will be adding 1927 to my "must see" list when I next visit the UK.
Now, I think anybody will enjoy this show but me thinks you should leave the little ones at home for it. They will love the cartoon aspects of the scenic design but there is a warning on it for a reason. The humor is more appropriate for someone twelve or older and the language is a bit advanced for young audiences. If you bring 'em, be prepared to explain what a dildo is...
Tickets for The Animals and Children Took to the Streets are sold out! For more information, click here
Comments
Julie
Saw them in England. They're amazing. So bummed it was sold out here. Agree- NOT kid friendly at all. Wouldn't even bring my granny to it!
22 February 2013Laura
just saw it. My favourite audience thing I heard was "why does the e look like a 3". the show was very smart, too smart for a hong kong audience. they didn't get most of it.
23 February 2013actor
Such an amazing show! So happy I got to see it.
24 February 2013Francesca Wood
It was beautifully done, the stories were great, The timing and the animation on the screen was incredible.
07 May 2013