Find out more
‘Charlie is a perfectly normal boy. Except for one thing – he can speak to cats’, so what better reason to transform the Annenberg stage into a magical circus for Wellington’s annual Junior Play. And what a treat the young cast gave us as Charlie, played with remarkable confidence and energy by Rufus P, set out to rescue his kidnapped parents, intelligently imagined by Ronit T and Elina M.
Director Anna Williams’s fast-paced production saw Charlie travel though England, across Europe and finally to Africa. Whether on foot or Circus Boat, by Orient Express or Hot Air Balloon, Charlie’s quest saw him involved in a variety of unfortunate encounters, meeting friends and foes along the way. Millicent M’s stand-out portrayal of the chief villain epitomised sugar-coated malice, while Jack P was all street menace as her sidekick Rafi. Ben N as Sergei, the asthmatic cat, and Arlo W as lion-tamer Maccomo added depth and nuance to the show, while also giving notice that they will be real forces in Wellington drama over the coming years. As indeed will Camilla I and Arav T, whose performances as Ninu the space-age chameleon, and the regal Boris added real power to the latter stages of the play.
This was a joyous evening’s entertainment and a real celebration of all that Wellington drama can offer. It literally had it all – circus skills, talking cats, dance, music, dramatic time-shifts and a convincing breaking of the 4th wall – but it also contained a serious message about the future and the threat of unbridled commerce and corpocracy. Congratulations to one and all, but in truth it was Rufus’s Charlie that held the audience captive all evening in a glorious suspension of disbelief.
It was, as the saying goes, practically purrfect in every way!
View the full gallery HERE.
