Miranda Musical Society presents Pippin

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Fri 15 Jun 2012 - Sun 24 Jun 2012

The show started with a sense of mystic and magic. Bright costumes, circus music and animated faces – was it a dream scene, a circus or perhaps a nightmare?



From the beginning to the very end Miranda Musical Society's 2012 production of Pippin was surreal and captivating; it was often humorous, and sometimes eerie.

This musical tells the story of Pippin (played by the talented Rory Chatterton) as he searches for fulfilment and happiness. Pippin's every move is watched carefully by the Players who encourage, chastise and cheer for him. The Lead Player, played by Emma Paul, interacts with the audience as well as 'directing' other characters on the stage.



Pippin's story starts as he leaves his father's kingdom in search of fulfilment. First he attends university but still unfulfilled he continues his search, experiencing war, sex, drugs and even being King. Did he find fulfilment? Not yet.

Fortunately for the audience, Pippin's misfortunes made for great entertainment. His war experience was an amazing slow-motion battle scene. The Players strangled, stabbed and wrestled each other with exaggerated movements, and while wearing hilariously contorted facial expressions. Pippin's sexual experiences were represented through a very cleverly choreographed dance. Once again it was humorous, entertaining and a touch confronting.



As you may imagine, Miranda Musical Society's rendition of Pippin was not for a conservative audience. There was lots of cleavage, sexualised humour, cleavage, adult themes and did I mention lots of cleavage? But the pace was about to change … for a little while anyway, when Pippin went to the country. There he met Catherine (Jennifer Parbery), a woman with warm and nurturing motherly qualities. Everything about Catherine was pure and fairy-tale like – a stark contrast to Pippin's previous experiences. But it is never peaceful for long in Pippin – as the Players are never far away.



A special mention must be made of Daniel Simpson, the only child in the Pippin cast. The show ended with his solo rendition of Corner of the Sky; a solitary figure on a dark stage in a silent theatre – this was another one of those eerie moments of the show. Another highlight was performances by Robyn Lassman in the role of Pippin's grandmother, Berthe. She sang with enthusiasm, energy and pizzaz.

Miranda Musical Society was successful in presenting a complicated musical. There was a perfect synchronisation of music, costumes, lighting, choreography and cast; making for an entertaining, humorous, and thought provoking production.



While many people travel to the city to see professional theatre productions, many others miss out on experiencing musicals due to the high expense of tickets. It is a shame that they don't think to support community theatre. Attending amateur productions is an affordable way to see a musical and to introduce children to musicals. While Pippin may have been unsuitable for children, look out for Miranda Musical Society's September production of Beauty and the Beast . Judging by the quality of Pippin, it will be another magical show.

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!date 15/06/2012 -- 24/06/2012
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