Stuart Little

Full disclosure: I made some of the props for this show. I did not attend any of the rehearsals, but I did read the Stuart Little script.

And I had reservations about it. Every element of this Stuart Little production has been given thorough attention, but the script lets it down. Heron has added a musical pantomime to resolve the unsatisfactory ending, but two hours is too long for the audience to whom it is pitched.

River Davies as Stuart is charming. He is bouncy and cheeky, animal-like but sincere. Tay Lowry is a beautiful bird. Her costume is that of an aviatrix with leather airman’s goggles. She has stunning feathered wings which she uses with delicacy and grace. Her vocal characterisation is enchanting.

Louise Stubs is incredibly versatile but shines as the leather clad, Angie Cat. Poppy Lennon takes on several roles but is most interesting as a dental patient and as Tige Cat.

Similarly, Abbey Udovicić and Jerome Phelps are very funny garbage men with Udovicić also as a convincing pigeon.

Jemima Walters is adept in her many roles along with Aiden Cruise (George Little), Anita Planchon and Scott Lleonart (the evil Snowball).

Costumes are excellent. The 1940s hats and shoes find excellent mannequins in Stubs, Lennon and Waters. The school students are individual and appropriate for the period. River Davies is simply attired in ears and whiskers with bow tie and red sneakers, evoking David Tennant’s Dr Who.

The box set is lovely, and the many remote locations of Stuart’s journey are projected. For young audiences there is a lot that is visually pleasing, not the least of which is Stuart’s red (electric) Chevrolet.  (Andrew Cooper who made this, is my husband.) Many of the props are oversized to suit Stuart’s diminutive stature. The joke never seems to get old.

But the pace does. The episodic nature of the show flags despite the best efforts with regards to unifying music, stage management and actor enthusiasm. Hobart Rep has used a lot of Robinette adaptations over the years. They are frequently quaint and outdated. There are scenes which do not advance the story or character in any way and contained ideas of questionable value.

One such scene is the schoolhouse scene. Whilst the acting in the scene is energetic and the students are well defined and interesting characters, coming as it does, late in act two, this wordy scene holds little interest for children or adults.

A similar scene is that involving a canoe ride. The best part of the scene is Louise Stubbs as the shopkeeper.  Director, Heather Heron, would have been reticent to sacrifice that.

Stuart Little is simply too long for a children’s show. Audiences like to think they have value from money when they attend the theatre, but in this instance, less would deliver more enjoyment for the younger crowd and their minders.

Review by Anne Blythe-Cooper

Photo credit: Bob Linacre and Wayne Wagg

Costume coordination: Karen Fahey

Costumes: Carolin Corrigan, Helen Cronin, Meredith McQueen, Julie Raphael, Nicole Williams.

Properties: Heather Heron, Rogan Brown, Andrew Cooper, Anne Blythe-Cooper.