Pining For Affection: A Tree Musical

A tree, a possum, a prince and a princess all live in the magic forest and then they follow their dreams and find their better selves. Pining For Affection is really, really funny, especially if you like puns, honest and bloody with a satisfactory number of deaths wrapped up and delivered in a series of songs complete with well executed (pun intended) physical accompaniments.

Stephen Amos (Tree), Gina Dickson (Possum), Ursula Searle (Princess) and Alfred Kouris (Prince Richard) make up the ensemble and fill the empty stage with disciplined action and good-hearted energy.

There are plenty of opportunities for the audience to be brought into the play with songs and chants and the well-worn theatrical practice of giving extra attention to the people in the front row.

This is definitely an adult show with lots of smut and allusions to body parts. This is cleverly and kindly done with a knowing wink.

The singing is of a high standard and mostly understandable, but the mix with very loud music in a very small space and an emphasis on the treble did not support the singers and sometimes overwhelmed them.  

Pining For Affection is a delightful, well-crafted and executed, energy filled, funny show and audiences can only hope there are many saplings which bear fruit in the future.

Ruth Richter