- Review by Carla Lever

I can’t say enough good things about Marvellous Mixtures.

From the set, which was full farmyard chic, to the quirky and clever script, from the outstanding performances by Brian Hiles and Daisy Spencer to the cunning visual techniques to handle otherwise tricky narrative moments, everything was spot-on.

 

Although not an absolute copy of George’s Marvellous Medicine, Standard Bank Young Artist Award-winner Neil Coppen’s Marvellous Mixtures captures the spirit of Dahl’s story while still transferring it to a sleepy Karoo setting, providing great potential for some lekker local laughs that weren’t in the original. Crucially, it maintains Dahl’s uncanny ability to be bang on the mark with riotous and intelligent jokes, regardless of age or intellectual capacity. Dahl never condescends and neither does Coppen, with even the most physical of giggle-moments being exquisitely set up and perfectly executed through the infectious enthusiasm of Hiles and Spencer.

This is children’s theatre at its best: effusive, intelligent, participatory fun that kept the gleeful not-so-inner child in me right with them at every turn.  I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

Perhaps the best indication of its success, though, was that the kids seemed to love it, too. Quick to participate when asked, eager to offer advice, there was rapt attention for all 55 minutes. Not one child looked bored or distracted.

I caught up with Alice, 11 and Zoey, 6 after they show and they shared their views with me. “I thought it was wonderful,” said Alice with a big grin. “I especially liked how they used everyday things to make the props, like bicycle wheels for the windmill,” she added, perceptively.

 

And Zoey? “I liked being a part of it,” said Zoey, who, together with her sister, made their stage debut with some important police detecting during a bit of a kerfuffle involving an ouma who was too big for her boots. “It was lots of fun.”

Their mum tells me on the stair that this is one of the best children’s shows she’s been to, a “cut above the rest.”

Frankly, I agree. In spades.

 

There are only two remaining performance of Marvellous Mixtures: Monday 5^th September at 11am and 7pm. I urge you, whatever your age, to make your booking through Computicket.

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