The Velveteen Rabbit is back, showing at the Spare Parts Puppet Theatre in Fremantle for January only. The production is adapted from the 1922 book by Margery Williams, and while this is a stand-alone production, I’d highly recommend reading the book first if you can manage it.
The story follows a young boy called Jordy and his toy rabbit. The rabbit learns from nursery folklore that if your owner really truly loves you, you become real and stay real. Jordy grows to love his rabbit and takes him everywhere, but after he contracts scarlet fever everything in the nursery must go, including the velveteen rabbit. With some help from the magic fairy, the rabbit does become real to everyone.
If you’re a repeat visitor it’s always nice to see how Spare Parts Puppet Theatre adapt the sets to accommodate each production, and the Velveteen Rabbit is very clever, using a series of sliding doors to focus the attention and create an intimate feel.
The set reveal for the sick Jordy is a surprising change of perspective and this scene was a stand-out, eliciting follow up questions from the audience after the show. This Q&A section after the performance is one of the things I love about Spare Parts Puppet Theatre. Children ask exactly what’s on their mind, and the performers are always gracious in sharing their knowledge. There is also supplementary material available on the SPPT website if you want to delve deeper.
The Velveteen Rabbit is suitable for ages four and over. If you have a budding young creative, this might just be the perfect story to connect them to the world of theatre. I’ve noticed my six-year-old co-reviewer has added extra gusto to his imaginative play at home since the show.
The 2017 summer season runs from 3rd to 28th January with two shows daily at 10am and 1pm, Monday to Saturday. There are also two special Saturday evening performances on 20th and 27th January at 6.30pm. Each performance is followed by the short Q&A session. Finish up with a babycino at a nearby café and you have a great summer holiday day out.