Nobody Owns The Moon, directed by Michael Barlow, is a stage adaptation of a book by the same name, by Tohby Riddle.
Nobody Owns The Moon is a family friendly production, combining aspects of puppetry, physical theatre and certain components of the Comedia Del Arte form. The play tells the story of an anthropomorphised fox, who goes by the name “Clive”, and his best friend Humphry, and their shared experiences in the big city.
The play really does touch on some pretty significant and powerful topics from: poverty, to morality, and even the value of art, and the value that our culture places on art, which are two very different things. But this is not to say that the story gets bogged down in politics, quite the opposite. It is very likely that you will be kept chuckling from start to finish, and emerging with a sense of child-like enlightenment at the end.
The simple and dynamic set design, by Leon Hendroff, is put to great use by the play’s four cast members, who interact with their environment just as much as they do with each other. The combination of these dynamic set-pieces, and the lighting design, by Graham Walne, creates mood evoking settings of quite extraordinary degrees. These moods are only enhanced by the backing soundscape, by Lee Buddle, which provides the viewer with quite unreal moments of complete loss of self-awareness.
On the whole, this is a wonderfully creative and insightful production, and a great opportunity for the family to enjoy a piece of theatre together which everyone can enjoy on their own terms.
Spare Parts Puppet Theatre presents
Nobody Owns The Moon
Adapted from the book by Tohby Riddle
Directed by Michael Barlow
Venue: Spare Parts Puppet Theatre | 1 Short Street, Fremantle, WA
Dates: September 24 – October 8, 2016
Tickets: $25
Bookings:www.sppt.asn.au | 9335 5044
Review by Patrick Barton Australian Stage