Puffs

Yes, we’re in the midst of a pandemic, but if you think there’s nothing left to laugh about, you clearly haven’t seen Puffs, a high octane homage to Harry Potter movies (without the copyright or royalty issues). It’s living proof that chaos doesn’t have to be a downer!

Briefly, the story concerns a bunch of misfits at a certain magic school dominated by the presence of one H Potter. Called The Puffs, all they really aspire to is to come third in the inter-house competition. Along the way they learn that friendship and caring are more important, and LOVE is the ultimate magic.

A brilliant and talented cast, under the deliciously innovative direction of Mitchell Walsh produces enough energy to power the entire Southeast of the State.

Walsh himself plays the pivotal role of the Narrator. He has style and stage presence to spare. He owns the stage at every entrance and is a natural performer, which is why he has enough energy left to do such a great job on the direction. There are sight gags, slapstick, nods to French Farce, special effects, magic, chases and enough mayhem to make your head spin. Directing an ensemble cast of eleven is no easy task, and at times it seems that the whole production will break free from Walsh’s grasp and throw all discipline to the wind, but he always manages to pull it back from the brink and inject enough pathos between the laughs for us to really care about the characters. And what characters they are. Ensemble casts don’t often get individual praise, but every one of these actors deserves to be recognised for the magic they create.

Nathan French plays Bogan Wayne Hopkins with just the right level of self-deprecation and a strong comic flare. He’s our hero who never quite manages to be heroic. James Blee is alternately endearing and annoying (intentionally) as Wayne’s sidekick and best mate. Both are strong performers. Sarah Hunt brings Megen Jones to life with a warm vulnerability that plays in tandem with her acerbic outer image. She’s always impressive. What a find Alexander O’Connell is! Great voice projection and comic timing are terrific attributes for any young actor. As Cedric he’s wonderfully nerdy, and he’s hysterical as Mr Voldy. Kristen Barrows is a pocket rocket with a large dose of charisma. She slays the role of Leanne and is even funnier in her other character vignettes. Hannah Crowther brings a wealth of experience to the company and excels in a myriad of character roles. She’s a dancer and choreographer and is responsible for the well-executed choreography…a force to be reckoned with. Milly Talbot is another young performer with a gift for comedy and a winning personality and stage presence. I can’t wait to see what she does next. On opening night Ben Kasper stepped in to play J. Finch Fletchley. He did so with ease and panache, bringing years of valuable experience to the stage. Chelsea Doran switches neatly between Harry P himself and Susie Bones, full of uncertainty and self-deprecation and Jayden Proctor, perhaps the least experienced of the cast, nevertheless adds warmth and colour to Ernie Mac and others. Almost all the cast play multiple roles too numerous to mention with some astonishing quick changes.

Spotlight’s theatre has a wide proscenium arch but not a lot of depth. Designer Phillip Mass capitalises on this by using steps and rostrums upstage combined with sliding flats to give the impression of depth. Downstage he utilises the multiple doorways so prevalent in French Farce … we’re constantly wondering which door will open next.

Jamie Watts’ lighting design is perfect for the show, though some spots were a little late in their cues. Sound by Nick Willner is great but it’s hard to juggle mikes with ten people all talking over each other. In those mass hysteria scenes it might pay to wind down the treble in the top registers, just for the sake of understanding the dialogue. Kudos to the team responsible for puppets and special effects. They work brilliantly.

Be prepared for a long night - the show runs 2 ½ hours PLUS an interval. It is the fault of the book rather than the pace on stage which is frenetic 90% of the time. It really needs pruning, but tell that to a writer who has a smash Off Broadway hit.

There are some minor tightenings which wouldn’t impact on story or character. The long chase sequence between the Puffs and the Death Buddies would benefit from losing a couple of minutes, as it starts to labour after the initial laughs, but overall, the energy never flags.

This a delightful night of entertainment for young and old (though young adult is the intended demographic) and, despite all the Covid problems which saw the production cancelled last year and the heartbreaks trying to bring it to the stage this season, it’s exactly the kind of feel good experience we need right now.

Coral Drouyn

Images: Vargo Studios