The props may have been a bit wooden but the acting certainly wasn't!
Pinocchio is an original and fascinating play, and that’s the truth of the matter.
Pants on Fire's Pinocchio tells the classic story of a wooden mannequin who is brought to life but just can't resist dishonesty. The group obviously didn't want to stick to the classic setting and instead based the play in a low-budged Sci-fi B-movie. An ominous voice over was reminiscent of the twilight zone and the use of the cliché 'two people in a car being romantic in a dark setting are interrupted by a huge monster' scene was very smart.
The puppets were detailed and a pleasure to watch but they seemed restricted in movement at times. The breaking of the fifth wall when one of the puppet characters dies is one of the funniest moments of the play.
The acting was of the expected standard and the actors ability to retain the American accent, even when singing, was impressive. The group was quite inventive when they used noticeably different costumes on the same actors to create the illusion of a huge cast when in reality many characters were played by the same person.
The use of dubstep was questionable. It didn't seem to fit with the theme of classic Sci-fi or the original story. The eerie music engaged with me more and gave a better sense of intrigue than the generic barbershop dubstep did.
Overall it was a good play accompanied by some amusing songs and some not so amusing dubstep. The adverts that popped up throughout the performance were hugely entertaining and made us laugh but the final twist and the tying together of the story line felt a bit sinister.
Pinocchio is an original and fascinating play, and that’s the truth of the matter.
