Brie Keatley
In a time where there is global pressure to lock in and submit to capitalism, how wonderful it is to have a show like The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate. It shows not only our rangatahi about the importance of being silly and following your dreams, but also adults that it’s okay to do what you love - no matter how old you are.
The first thing I notice upon entering the Hannah Playhouse is that the stage is thoroughly sea-worthy, thanks to the outstanding set design by Scott Maxim. Our pirate crew are dancing and cavorting across a convincing ship for the pre-show and I am immediately happy to see such an effort put into children’s theatre. Speaking of, although the audience may be light for this showing, there are a couple of keenly piratey-dressed rangatahi on the edge of their seats throughout the whole show. They are more than happy to be here for this saga.
The premise of the show is a story within a story being told by the Rosie Pirate Captain (Nino Raphael, who also wrote the entire show, including the music!) about the Pirate Mother (Jo Hodgson) to his crew of Squiffy (Avery Ward) and Mate (Hamish Boyle). We learn the Pirate Mother had to give up her life of pirating when she became a mother to Sam (Finlay Morris). Of course, this story is well known to any kiwi kid around my age as it was lovingly adapted from the Margaret Mahy book of the same name.
What really elevates the entire story is the incredible musical performances. This cast is polished. I am enthralled at the incredible energy that travels between each piece, with every cast member getting their chance to shine. My favourite song features Boyle as a no-nonsense kiwi farmer monotonously singing about his love for the land (and not the sea!). Boyle is backed up in this scene by the deadpan Raphael as Nessa the Cow who gives us quite a riveting harmonica solo. I am also a big fan of the variety of instruments that are played live onstage by the band (Andreas Leaper, Rachel Hinds, Beans Wright, Hayden Taylor and Bernard Wells). All the music in the show creates a sense of warming fun that only increases as the show goes on.
The performances in The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate are full of energetic whimsy. Whether it be Ward and Boyle as enthused but emotional pirates, or the desperate but dastardly Mr Fat (Tawhi Thomas), there is no shortage of interesting performances in this show. I am also amazed at how each and every performer has a good set of pipes on them, despite the intricate choreographies and high energy held throughout. Kudos to director/choreographer Sara Brodie, for directing these performers through such a high-intensity, demanding show.
It’s clear to me that any human of any age will be equal parts enthralled and warmed by The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll leave wanting to give your Mum a big hug.
The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate is on at the Hannah Playhouse from the 5th to the 14th of December. You can buy your tickets here.
The premise of the show is a story within a story being told by the Rosie Pirate Captain (Nino Raphael, who also wrote the entire show, including the music!) about the Pirate Mother (Jo Hodgson) to his crew of Squiffy (Avery Ward) and Mate (Hamish Boyle). We learn the Pirate Mother had to give up her life of pirating when she became a mother to Sam (Finlay Morris). Of course, this story is well known to any kiwi kid around my age as it was lovingly adapted from the Margaret Mahy book of the same name.
What really elevates the entire story is the incredible musical performances. This cast is polished. I am enthralled at the incredible energy that travels between each piece, with every cast member getting their chance to shine. My favourite song features Boyle as a no-nonsense kiwi farmer monotonously singing about his love for the land (and not the sea!). Boyle is backed up in this scene by the deadpan Raphael as Nessa the Cow who gives us quite a riveting harmonica solo. I am also a big fan of the variety of instruments that are played live onstage by the band (Andreas Leaper, Rachel Hinds, Beans Wright, Hayden Taylor and Bernard Wells). All the music in the show creates a sense of warming fun that only increases as the show goes on.
The performances in The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate are full of energetic whimsy. Whether it be Ward and Boyle as enthused but emotional pirates, or the desperate but dastardly Mr Fat (Tawhi Thomas), there is no shortage of interesting performances in this show. I am also amazed at how each and every performer has a good set of pipes on them, despite the intricate choreographies and high energy held throughout. Kudos to director/choreographer Sara Brodie, for directing these performers through such a high-intensity, demanding show.
It’s clear to me that any human of any age will be equal parts enthralled and warmed by The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll leave wanting to give your Mum a big hug.
The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate is on at the Hannah Playhouse from the 5th to the 14th of December. You can buy your tickets here.