BY ALISON PARIS
The Owl and the Pussycat
Lisa Cheney (composer) and Kathryn Marquet (librettist)
Brisbane Festival
Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, 27 September 2018
On my way to the Cremorne Theatre, I was overtaken by a small group of excited kids, mimicking owl and cat sounds as they jumped up the steps, their guardian taking two stairs at a time to keep up. Clearly, Lear’s poem still captures the imagination of young children more than a century after it was written. And this adaptation, from composer Lisa Cheney and librettist Kathryn Marquet, captured the humour and quirkiness to perfection.
The set design suited the space excellently, with the entire theatre resembling the ‘pea green boat’. This helped to immerse the children into this world, removing any disconnect between the performers and audience. That said, the set itself would have held up even without this element, as it was just beautifully designed. The cool shades of green created a peaceful atmosphere, which extended all the way down to the audience and the entry to the theatre.
Kathryn’s libretto was brilliantly crafted to engage children, using a range of techniques and styles including rhyming couplets mixed in with conventional dialogue and narration. As discussed in our interview, she also included audience participation to keep the younger viewers engaged. This worked well, as the entire theatre were totally enraptured.
Alongside the cleverly constructed script was Lisa’s beautiful score, toeing the line between opera and modern musical theatre. There were some genuinely memorable songs throughout the short production, ranging from the emotional and lyrical duet Don’t be Afraid of the Dark, to humourous character themes, usually performed by Jackson McGovern in one of his many roles he takes on throughout the show.
Although small, consisting of only three actors, the cast for this production was diverse in musical style. Operatic soprano Irena Lysiuk (Cat), mezzo-soprano Pia Frangiosa (Owl), and musical theatre baritone Jackson McGovern (Moon, Piggy Wig, Turkey, and many other parts) all offered unique and engaging musical personalities, complementing one another and keeping the music fresh and varied. All singing was of an excellent standard.
Three instrumentalists joined the singers. Dressed as puffins, they remained onstage throughout the performance, adding occasional commentary and snide remarks. The music provided by these three was a clever mix of diatonic, modal, and atonal soundscapes. This was a clever way to introduce to the audience members all kinds of unfamiliar sounds and scales without overwhelming or alienating them. The diatonic moments were reminiscent of Disney or other such child-friendly musicals, while the more unusual soundscapes helped to shape the nonsensical seaside atmosphere.
The story of The Owl and the Pussycat is a familiar tale, and this adaptation managed to modernise it with a coherent and engaging story while keeping the charm of the original. At the core of this show was the theme of acceptance and not judging a book by its cover, as seen with interactions in characters such as the tattooed pig, as well as in the relationship between the two central characters. This message will always be important to children, and was beautifully portrayed.
From its cute and fun characters to its lovely and clever music, beautiful singing, and set and costume design, it was clear that there was a lot of love behind this project. Perfect for children and engaging for parents and guardians, The Owl and the Pussycat was a joy to see.
READ NEXT: Alison interviews Kathryn about writing this heart-warming opera.
Images supplied.
