By Cameron Woodhead
THEATRE
ROOM ON THE BROOM ★★★★
Julia Donaldson, CDP Productions
Arts Centre Melbourne
Until January 15
CDP Productions has developed into a reliable and prolific source of high-quality children's theatre, starting with The Gruffalo, moving on to rambunctious versions of Andy Griffiths' Treehouse books and most recently, staging a vibrant adaptation of May Gibbs' bush classic Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. The company's take on Room on the Broom, also by Donaldson, is perhaps its best show yet.
Andreas Lohmeyer, Nat Jobe, Crystal Hegedis and Chandel Rose in Room on the Broom.Credit: Heidrun Lohr
Like The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom is a much-loved picture book written by Julia Donaldson that has found life beyond the page. (Notably, it was made into a short, animated film in 2012, nominated for an Oscar and voiced by a high-powered cast including Gillian Anderson and David Walliams.)
The story follows a kind-hearted – if accident-prone – witch and her cat. Whooshing through the night sky on a broomstick, they're on their way to confront a dragon, but keep making unplanned pit stops along the way.
The original Julia Donaldson book, illustrated by Axel Scheffler.
Each time, they encounter a talking animal who wants to hitch a ride. The witch can't say no, and things get very squishy as the broomstick turns into a sort of flying Uber service.
Disaster strikes, but a spot of ingenuity from the witch's animal friends saves her from becoming dragon food – a boon she repays by magicking into existence a luxe new broomstick with space for everyone.
The production brings all this to the stage with charm and humour, through bright songs (John Fiber, Andy Shaw and Robin Price) and colourful puppets (Yvonne Stone), bound together in performances that will captivate and enlarge young attention spans with their energy and flow.
Crystal Hegedis is a likeable bumbling witch, singing upbeat duets opposite Chandel Rose's more worldly cat. Nat Jobe manages to juggle the puppeteering of a dog and a frog with comic zest. And Andreas Lohmeyer rounds out the cast as a bird and the (not too scary) dragon.
Nat Jobe is a master of puppets.Credit: Heidrun Lohr
Elegant, well-paced direction, from the brief framing narrative on, ensures there's never a dead moment, and there's a beautifully struck balance between action and song. Room on the Broom will delight children over a considerably wider age range than the original book, and adults should have fun taking them.