Theatre / david adams
Review: Peter and the Wolf, Tobacco Factory
Prokofiev’s classic tale of a small boy who takes on a wolf with the aid of his friend the bird is one of the essential landmarks of any fully-rounded childhood. Most of us encounter it in recorded form, with narrators ranging from Peter Ustinov to Bono, since performances are all too rare.
However, Little Wolf Gang – a small band of strolling players – offer Bristolian children (and their parents) a chance to experience the work live, albeit in a stripped down version. The symphony orchestra is replaced here by just three instruments: violin (Fiona Barrow), accordion (Eddy Jay) and bassoon (David Adams, who also provides the voice of Peter’s grumpy Grandfather). This tiny ensemble provide the musical accompaniment to Martin Maudsley’s engaging and vivid narration of the tale – waddling like a duck one minute, twisting to represent a gnarled old willow tree the next, Maudsley fills in the picture outlined by Prokofiev’s music.
Bookending this musical main course are two other Russian folk tales set to music. The disconcerting The Fiddler meets a Devilish Stranger allows Barrow’s violin full rein to plunge into a carefree circus of polkas and mazurkas. The outcome of A Foolish Woodcutter Discovers a Magical Wishing Tree, meanwhile, can be guessed from the title: foolish people granted wishes rarely come off well in fairy stories. With the rolling repetition of a classic storyteller, Maudsley is gripping as he tells the story to the backing of Ravel’s Bolero.
Little Wolf Gang’s show is a pleasant introduction to some classics, both spoken and musical. It may not be utterly engaging for the very young, but I know at least one nine-year old who hummed Peter’s theme all the way home.
Peter and the Wolf continues at the Tobacco Factory Theatre until Saturday, January 31. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/detail/peter_and_the_wolf_and_other_wild_musical_tales
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