The Adventures of Peacock, Chicken and the Pony they Rode Upon

A chicken (who can’t lay eggs, perhaps because it’s actually a rooster) sets off on a quest for the best soup. A horse composed of two entirely different characters, Stan (the head of the horse) and Lee (the tail of the horse) tumbles into an adventure through the universe, constantly juggling two sets of conflicting needs. A ‘peacock’ (or at least a menopausal bird with a glorious self-made tail) is on an expedition of pure fabulousness through the world, nurturing a sense of identity along the way. In this trippy and psychedelic – yet completely wholesome and family-oriented – 50 minutes of comedy, music and puppetry, somehow the four unlikely heroes undertake their voyages together, as the motley band leaves Nowhereville in search of, well, not just soup or snacks but, ultimately, themselves.

It's probably best not to try too hard to track the madcap narrative arc of this piece, or you might get whiplash from a few of the more perplexing turns in logic (where did that airplane come from? Why was the chicken looking for soup? Why Vegas? Indeed, why did they chicken cross the road?!). Rather, be more like the kids in the audience: surrender to the flow, and connect with the production at its most joyfully childlike heart. Let yourself float through the dreamlike scenes as the characters traverse time and space, visiting not just Las Vegas (Lee, evidently, is a big Elvis fan) but various unnamed locations where rain becomes night becomes day becomes snow becomes desert becomes storms… and before you know it, the cast, with the aid of some brief, nonthreatening audience participation, is visiting Saturn. In space, it turns out, not only can everyone hear you sing, but the view of the grand universe can bring on some genuinely moving moments – a song with the gentle refrain ‘Dearest Pony’ underscores a poignant catharsis for the habitually prickly Stan.

The four central performers – Dave Montgomery (Lee), Oliver Williams (Stan), Kylie Heart (Peacock) and Paul McGee (Chicken) – share the journey with earnest energy and mutual respect, and there are some particularly fun tensions between the cynical, home-loving Stan and the determined, ever-adventurous Lee. (Montgomery – a founding member of the twenty-year-old Second Echo, a theatre company bringing together artists with and without disability – is also Visual Dramaturg for the show.) Nicole Simms-Farrow, as the Narrator, warmly shepherds both cast and audience along on this wacky expedition with heart and versatility, through both song and the rich poetry of the narrative text. Gorgeous lines such as ‘time hiccups and somewhere a rooster crows in reverse’ carry us through the intangible terrains of imagination that belong to the central characters. But the show is also propelled beautifully by the ensemble, who are fluid in their transitions between incidental characters, also incorporating song, choreographed movement and stagehand duties. The ensemble bring imagination, humour and colour at every juncture.

Along the way, there are some catchy songs (composer Mia Palencia hits a balance between familiar childhood instrumentation and some quirky vocal patterns in the live singing); zany, surreal humour; and a good dollop of egg-based punning to keep the adults and bigger children in the audience good-naturedly rolling their eyes. While there were a few issues with aural intelligibility – compounded by radio mics that sometimes interfered with clarity of diction (both in song and for those performers with speech differences), the show is accessible, welcoming and, in line with Second Echo and Midnight Feast’s core philosophies, inclusive – embodied in Ben Richardson’s charismatic Auslan interpretation; the diverse cast; and the themes and tone.

The large creative team have come together to produce a technically slick and pleasing work, where all elements contribute in balance to the world of the story. Of particular note is Alex Moss’s multimedia work: the digital projection of Cary Littleford’s animations (based on Montgomery’s drawings) and visuals live-mixed by the show’s VJ, Digby Webster, are a constantly shifting backdrop that is always building the character of the world but never dominating. Also memorable were Ros Wren’s exceptional costumes – such as the peacock’s tremendous tail – which nail the vibe of chaotic, fanciful, last-minute fancy dress outfits thrown together from whatever is in the toy-chest, but with the glossy, coordinated finesse of haute couture.

As the show winds up, we are left to wonder along with the Narrator as she marvels, ‘Reality wobbles like it’s unsure. Was it all a dream? Maybe…’

Review by Anica Boulanger-Mashberg

Anica Boulanger-Mashberg is a Hobart-based writer, editor and reviewer.

Photos by Pete Mellows