Charlotte's Web. Company Skylark: adapted by Gilly Farrelly from the original story by E.B.White. Directed by Christine Anketell. At the Canberra Theatre until August 3, 1996. Professional.
"They're not making it dark!" The 5 year old waited impatiently for the great moment in theatre when the houselights dim, while I watched excited little heads bobbing up like bubbles above a pool packed with schools of tropical reef fishes - a green school, a red school, blue with green stripes, green with yellow stripes, royal blue, pink with yellow flashes, iridescent orange and lots of multicoloured tiny ones.
"If you had been born small, would you have killed me?" asked Fern of her Farmer Father - the debate about life and death was on for young and old. Skylark's production is magical theatre but never sentimental even when Charlotte dies after saving Wilbur the Pig's bacon twice over. Peter Wilson, Artistic Director, explained to me that after experiencing theatre in pre-school (like the wonderful Salty Seagull Takes Off which I reviewed in May), it is important for early primary school children to go to the theatre to take part in our society's culture.
I feel he's right, so I worried about three things. The Canberra Theatre is far too big for 700 little audience people: roll on the new Playhouse. The amplified sound disembodied the actors and puppet characters: real live voices are what distinguishes theatre from video and audio media, because performers and audience interact as equal human beings. Again, the new Playhouse, please. So these things can be fixed.
But I also thought the ending was flat. More awe for the birth (resurrection, reincarnation) of Charlotte's babies is required. Take more time. Fill the stage with silvery spiders: they are too cabin'd, cribb'd, confin'd in the framework of the farm shed. Dim the other characters almost out. In unison with the characters, let the children say "Ooh!" and "Aah!" as they did when the houselights first went down. Then the production will be perfect.
©Frank McKone, Canberra
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