Reach for the Sky

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre are inhabiting Fremantle Town Hall for their latest production, the beautiful and moving new work Reach for the Sky. Aimed at children aged 3 to 7, but a joy to watch at any age, Reach for the Sky is an exquisite wordless piece that is rooted in its gorgeous score and has its audience enthralled throughout.

Young audiences arriving early are given the opportunity to explore puppetry and toys in the foyer or engage in colouring in. Invited by some of the performers into the performance space, they make a seamless transition from one fun and exciting space to another. Playing with the audience on three sides, the stage is dominated by a large and rather grand four poster bed. The children are seated predominantly on large balls, and the first part of the show features actor Oliver Hughes and performer/composer Pavan Kumar Hari encouraging the audience to bounce and move in time to energetic drumming.

After a while we meet another character hidden within the vast bed, and Bec Bradley and Oliver Hughes take us on an imaginative journey using a variety of puppet types from balls and pillows to more conventional rod and windsock puppets. Beautifully coordinated to the composition, the young crowd are involved throughout, their involvement evident in their yelled advice to the actors, their shouts of glee and their willingness to join in a game of “keepy uppy”.

A production that celebrates music, movement and imagination, this is the sort of show that begs to be recreated in part at home, a steppingstone to imaginative adventures.

I would highly recommend this to families with young children, not only beautiful to experience, but a show that demonstrates and encourages imaginative play. Lots of surprises and bound to bring a smile to the faces of young people and their companions.

Kimberley Shaw

Photographer: Jessica Wyld