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Irish Theatre Magazine Review
BABORO Festival - 2009
The Irish Times |
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Jay Ryan, Artistic Director of PigNut and the puppeteer for Jacko, his hapless friend Podi, a wise old wizard and a host of small creatures from mice to snails, enthrals his young audience in fifty minutes of adventure and misadventure. Loud mouthed button-eyed Jacko, the brains and ambition of the outfit, is very put out when woolly-jumpered doleful Podi comes down with a cold, threatening his dream of becoming rich and famous. Coming across a spell book belonging to a mysterious wizard, Jacko, in his efforts to cure his friend, inadvertently turns him into a scary monster and a series of small creatures all of whom the children agree sing better than himself. Read more...
.....Wordless enactment is also a feature of Ahhhh! , a show for children aged between 18 months and four years.
...The lone actor, Jay Ryan, proudly shows us his toys and plants, letting the children give his pet piggy a kiss. He blows bubbles, and cleans our shoes with a feather duster. Everyone present is charmed; indeed, two toddlers take to the stage to get a closer look at Jay’s toys. Produced by PigNut Productions, this is a thoroughly enjoyable – and aptly named – performance.
....fascinating to observe how their creators experiment with visual storytelling, a feature of theatre-making internationally. This makes theatre accessible to children who either haven’t learned to talk yet, or who are learning a second language.
PATRICK LONERGAN |
