Capital E!
Sept 22-Oct 6 | Reviewed by Melody Nixon

Songs of the Sea is a captivating 40 minutes of high energy storytelling, focusing on the myths and legends of the creation of te moana. Drawing heavily on Maori lore and illustrating its tales with puppets, bouncy foam circles (think rock pools, the ocean surface, even waves) and glittery props, this beautifully produced piece of children’s theatre is well-suited to its target audience of 2-7 year olds.

The series of stories is narrated by four ‘big people’: Dushka Blakely, Jean Copland, David Goldthorpe and Regan Taylor: with the aid of a large, singing shell. Dushka Blakely shines as a most genuine performer; in a genre where facial expressions can be overdone, Blakely manages to time her smiles for when they matter most. Regan Taylor also performs sincerely, with a relaxed yet warm and open manner. David Goldthorpe fits well into his role as the cheery, goofy character the kids like to laugh at; and Jean Copland is all bounding energy and smiles, though perhaps a little more facial inflection would charisma to her role here.

Puppet design and creation by Sue Hill is careful and attractive, and her hanging puppets are particularly well-crafted and coordinated. The full size puppet in scene three or four; a ‘shape shifter’ who makes shells and creatures for the ocean; is delightful to watch for the way it conveys human expression and mannerisms so well. Costuming by William Wilson matches this plethora of puppets, often pairing up props like the yellow sun god Ra with a similarly clothed yellow/green actor.

The final scene is the most vibrantly coloured, filled with all manner of brightly painted sea creatures. As Goldthorpe describes the whirlpool wind God Tawhitimatea has stirred up in the oceans, the sea creatures are ferried in by the cast to adorn the rock pools and shoals onstage. The stands of fish however remain static and unmoving, hanging lifelessly from their poles. It would have been great to see these fish move; perhaps twirled on their poles by cast, or blown by a generated wind; to add to the liveliness of the ending.

This final scene also offered a great opportunity for children to come onstage and join in the singing, swimming and dancing; as they seemed eager to do. In such a vibrant and entertaining show, a little audience engagement would make Songs of the Sea even more of a memorable experience than it already is.