Oakley and Olivia
Oakley and Olivia, nicely written and directed by Paris Ceglinski, was a brand new musical which was one of the handful of shows to open Fringe World 2020. What better way to open FringeWorld than this child centred, wild and vibrant statement of hope for the future?
Squabbling siblings Oakley and Olivia are transported into another dimension. Guided by a computer entity they travel to an overstrict school, back to Neanderthal times and forward to a very strange future. As the lines between reality and the other world become increasingly blurred, Oakley and Olivia realise the importance of each other and the value of family.
Much of the success of this show was due to some stellar performances in the central roles. The title roles at the opening performance were played by Zachary Gosatti (alternates were Peter Jacobs and Ryan Buckeridge) and Evie Madeleine (other audiences may have seen Lucy Langford or Charlie Hunt). They established a believable relationship, with strong focused performances, anchoring the show very well. They team up with school girl Isadora or Izzy, very capably played at the first show by Abby Letts (sharing the role with Eliano Lupino and Alisha Boyatzis).
Strong support from the adult cast. Voice of the computer, Sara, was nicely vocalised by Kirsten Sibley. Joshua Towns felt a little young to be the dad of teens, but played Dad (and caveman Ooga) well. Dickensian like school masters Mr Bert and Mr Spurt were played with good teamwork by Glen Rowan and Phillip Diamond. Strong performances with limited verbals came from cave people Booga and Kevin - Belinda Cox and Clare McMath. Strange Future Dwellers Guacamole, Ketchup and The Chicken were played with lots of energy by Emily Bebbington, Aimee-Rose Keppler and Astrid Dainson.
Three alternating children’s ensembles added colour and effervescence to this Alice in Wonderland like ride of a show.
Intellectually this show could be twenty minutes shorter, still tell the same story, and be a stronger show, but from where I was sitting I had good line of sight to the children sitting on the floor at the front of the audience, and they all remained interested throughout. For future incarnations though, some judicial trimming would strengthen this show.
Great to see a new musical, especially one aimed at children and with lots of emerging performers. Congratulations to all involved.
Kimberley Shaw
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