Anyone who managed to bring live theatre to the stage in 2020, and anyone continuing to do so as we enter 2021 deserves a medal with the amount of work that has to go into it to ensure its safe in all areas, and at Chichester’s famous Festival Theatre, the team pulled out all the stops to ensure the show could go on for as long as possible. Christmas is normally a time when the theatre is handed over to the venue’s youth theatre company for their family show and not even 2020 could stop this from happening. With two teams of 30 children playing a multitude of roles, this incredible youth theatre bring their full scale production of Pinocchio to the stage. Even though tier restrictions may have cut the in-person run short, the production was filmed and made available online for home audiences over the festive season. 

Pinocchio, the story of a magical puppet who doesn’t require strings and wants nothing more than to be a real boy, is a classic, yet this new musical adaptation by Anna Ledwich with music by Tom Brady gives it a lift and a new twist, creating a story that is both heartwarming and charming. With a cart taking centre stage, rotating throughout to reveal beautiful sets by Simon Higlett, this production is a magical adventure that captures the imagination of adults and children alike. It’s colourful and childlike, with toys scattering Geppetto’s workshop, oversized sweets decorating the Wonderland scenes and a variety of extravagant, whimsical characters and incredible costumes from Ryan Dawson Laight, including a genius cork outfit for Pinocchio. Any fan of the story and its Disney movie adaptation would be hard pressed not to like this new stage retelling. 

A plethora of young stars with bright futures ahead of them star in this production, with Alfie Elliot leading the way in the title role. As the puppet who dreams of being a real boy, he looks at the colourful and sometimes dangerous world around him with a wide eyed innocence, trusting everyone and getting carried away by adventure. Elliot’s vocals are exceptional and he has the ability to make you instantly care for the character who nearly constantly makes the wrong decisions. He is certainly a talent to watch out for in the future. Annalise Bradbury takes on the role of Cricket with plenty of authority and energy, growing increasingly frustrated as she struggles to convince Pinocchio to listen to her advice and argues over the best way to handle the puppet with the fairy, brilliantly played by Meg Bewley. 

Archie Ayling impresses as toymaker Geppetto, the lonely soul who always puts others before himself. He wants the best for Pinocchio and wants him to fit in with the other children. Ayling makes it easy to feel for Geppetto and shows great promise as he demonstrates both the loving nature and slightly stricter side of the character, whilst trying to teach Pinocchio the best ways to fit in and behave like a real boy. The young ensemble cast make it look easy to swap characters, flitting in and out of various scenes whether attending the fair, mucking around in school classes, cleaning up the ocean or running away to Wonderland. Impressive ensemble performances include Alex Webb as the funny and kind French dog Mercury, Joe Clines as the quick thinking and devious trickster Fox and Ellie Bradbury showcasing powerful vocals as Judy at the puppet show. 

The show, although full scale complete with set and plentiful props, still featured the required social distancing but you don’t really notice it, which is a great escape from the spread out day-to-day life we are all now used to. The only point when it is more obvious is when characters hug themselves instead of hugging each other, but this doesn’t take away from the enjoyment at all. This production is a wonderful escape from the real world, running for 90 minutes with no interval. You can easily allow yourself to be whisked away in the adventure with its charming songs and loveable characters. 

Chichester Festival Youth Theatre’s Pinocchio is a heartwarming adventure suitable for the whole family, bursting with colour and fun, whilst being the perfect showcase of young talent - they are the stars of the future.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Rebecca Wallis

Please note: this review also features on blog site Musical Theatre Lives In Me.