Rapunzel

Freeze Frame Opera’s show for children, Rapunzel, written and directed by Penny Shaw, is playing at Perth’s Liberty Theatre, for a short matinee only season.

Fresh from a schools’ tour, this pocket-sized production, with a cast of four, accompanied by the always fabulous Tommaso Pollio, sets itself up in this bare-bones but fascinating venue (you’ll feel a little bit like an urban explorer – in this unpainted, yet to be polished space). Simply set, Rhi Walker’s set design features a portable black backdrop, a road-sign (check out the destinations) and the set-piece-de-resistance, one very cute rotating tower. Costumes, designed by Michelle Ward, are a quirky blend of old and new.

Possibly closer to an operatic musical than most opera, although it features no-less than a dozen Rossini songs (with new lyrics)  there is a fair amount of dialogue and audience interaction. While the audience on the Saturday morning was mostly toddlers, pre-schoolers, and their grown-ups (and they clearly enjoyed the show) I think that this would be mostly appreciated by primary school aged children, with lots of opportunity to join in and make noise.

Ruth Burke is lovely in the title role – this isn’t a Princess waiting to be rescued, she just needs a little help. Keaton Staz is a picture-perfect prince, even in disguise, Ben del Borello, as hairdresser Figaro bonds with the audience and gets us involved, while Charis Postmus is a fun, and not too scary witch. 

This is an ideal way to introduce children to opera, and the performance I went to even included free fairy floss! 

Short, sweet, and expertly performed, Freeze Frame Opera’s Rapunzel is a fun family show that hopefully will inspire a plethora of new, young opera lovers.

Kimberley Shaw