Reviews

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.

For those who have never seen Cats in one of its previous lives, the show is truly innovative and unique. For those of us who have seen and loved the show before, there may be an element of over-familiarisation and, yes, disappointment.

It’s the theatricality that sets productions like Cirque de Soleil apart from most acrobatic shows, even those that raise the “oo-ah” and “gasp” value by adding a bit of burlesque. Tim Lawson and Simon Painter know how important that theatricality it. It’s what made their productions like Le Grand Cirque and The Illusionists so popular in Sydney and around the world.

Queensland Ballet’s My First Ballet season of The Little Mermaid confirms that making work for young audiences doesn’t require artistic compromise. This production demonstrates how clarity of storytelling, strong design thinking, and disciplined performance can coexist with genuine craft, to delight the little ones. It is a work that understands its audience and respects it, offering visual richness and emotional coherence.