I didn’t know what to expect when my friend and I decided to go and see Pippin. For me it is just a good opportunity to get back into the theatre after almost 10 months of government and self-imposed lockdown. I am still a little bit cautious about going into enclosed spaces, hence smaller performance spaces like Belvoir and Griffin are basically no no for me until I really feel comfortable about the pandemic is being dealt with properly.
Back to Pippin. I am not particularly familiar with the work itself. I had to research on it a bit the day before so I have an idea what I am getting myself into. My friend decided to go because there was a song he is familiar with, and also because it has been 10 months since we had a proper face to face catch up. During the pre-show meal, he was anxious that if it is not good, we would have wasted our money. I told him, kinda in a more confidence mode after doing my homework the day before, that it should be ok because even if the music is not good, there are lots of circus and acrobat stuff to see. And because it is circus troupe, the costume will be cool and it should be fun to watch.
We entered the premise, fully armed with our face mask and QR Code check in and waited in the lounge area. My friend was still anxious, me more relaxed as I was afraid that it would take longer to get in because of all the COVID measures. In this aspect the venue really did its best with their safety precautions. While we were in our own box (our preventive measure to avoid mixing with the crowd) the rest of the audience were properly spaced in groups to minimise interaction.
The curtain went up, well not really went up – it was a huge spot light that slowly diminished the Lead Player figure and introduced the show. Initially, properly because we were quite close to the sound system, it was a bit thunderous and blurry, but when my body’s audio faculty adjusted to it naturally it was better. The Lead Player (played by the excellent Gabrielle McClinton) basically set the premise of the show, introduced all other players in the troupe and then the main character Pippin (played by the versatile Ainsley Melham). From that point onward, it was one spectacular after another.
The show was full of energy, and both my friend and I quickly got into it. We laughed with the characters, we cheered for the characters, and we applauded for the other players whenever they performed some ridiculous death-defying acts or out of no where magic tricks on stage. The cast were energetic, approachable and extremely likeable. The great thing about the cast is that you did not feel that any of the other players were just space filling – everyone of them had a purpose or a function and as one, they put together an extremely solid show.
For me one of the greatest surprises was Kerri-Anne Kennerley. As the matriarch grandma of the Pippin family, she undoubtedly has great stage presence and all she needed was to just be present, and your eyes will be drawn to her. However, the surprise came when she got into the troupe costume and performed on the swing raised up mid air with Will Meager (who does a lot of heavy lifting with (I think) Thomas Remaili in the show). At the beginning, I was worried. That is because I know performing on a swing like that was extremely demanding physically and requires total commitment to make it work. However, Kerri-Anne did not disappoint. Not just that she did not disappoint, but she gave us one ‘wow’ moment after another. Her story segment might not be the longest, but sure it was one of the most memorable. The audience erupted into thunderous applauds when she came back on the ground, and I thought that’s why she stayed relevant in the business despite other issues in the recent years.
The show broke a lot of fourth wall in the process. Not to a point of audience participation, but the cast made efforts to make the audience relevant to the plot. But the funny part was of course with the interactions between the Widow (played ridiculously hilarious and touchingly by Lucy Maunder) and the Lead Player. The manipulative bantering from the Lead Player to the Widow shifted the focus and dynamic about the characters on the stage and you can see something is brewing despite all the jokes and pun.
Though Pippin seems to be a show about, well Pippin, and the lead player, plus the troupe, the rest of the cast like Simon Burke, Euan Doidge and Leslie Bell were also great. They formed the family who gave Pippin a lot of grief in his quest for his purpose, and who could forget Leslie Bell’s quick on-stage costume changes?
I totally enjoyed Pippin. It was a pleasant surprise and I frankly am glad that we went. However, one thing though – there were a number of kids in the audience, and I do not know how much they understood, but I was worried about the segments on Pippin’s sexual exploration (with both men and women) and the orgy scene in the cage. I hope that won’t post embarrassing questions from the kids to their parents after the show.
If you are into musical, I will totally recommend it. It might not have the most popular and catchy tunes, but as a production, I think it has great values. And with a committed cast such as this you will feel that every cent you paid for the show is worth it.
To find out more about Pippin, you can visit their website here.
