Grug and the Rainbow

Windmill Theatre is in Perth for the AWESOME Festival, and I was lucky enough to join a capacity audience - mostly aged under 10 - for this warm and exciting retelling of this popular book.

Performed by three very likeable performers - James Smith, Ashton Malcolm and Ezra Jaunta - and a plethora of puppets, this show tops and tails from this very popular (and very short) book and takes the audience on an exciting journey in the middle. The puppets - notably Grug and his friends - look like they should from the book, with even the most discerning toddler able to recognise their familiar friends - a credit to puppet maker Tamara Rewse.

 Set on what appears to be three green carpeted mounds (or mountains), a fair amount of stage magic means that these seemingly simple set pieces contain a plethora of surprises within (with more than a few whispered “How do they do that?” questions overheard). The show is sensitively lit from a design by Chris Petridis and is accompanied by subtle but clever composition from DJ Trip.

Plenty of audience involvement as our new friends on stage endeavour to find colours to give to Grug to form a rainbow, and a chance to dance just as short attention spans might begin to lag. I kept my eyes on several very tiny (under two-year-old) audience members, and they remained rapt throughout.

Grug would be a perfect first theatre experience for pre-schoolers, and its fun and engaging style means that bigger brothers and sisters (and accompanying grownups) will have a great time too. Fun and friendly storytelling. 

Kimberley Shaw

Photographer: Shane Reid