The Enchantment

Hope Street Physical Theatre
Unity Theatre
13th April 2006

Reviewed by Helen Grey

The Enchantment is a charming tale which contains magic, adventure and intrigue. The play – designed to appeal to young people aged 7 to 11 – is set in ancient China and follows the adventure of a young man called Kabu and his monkey Chicari.

The evil emperor Ashii is poisoning the river which the villagers drink from and is turning them all into his slaves. It is up to Kabu and Chicari to journey across the land to reach the yo-soda tree and collect its flowers - the only thing that can restore the river and set the villagers free. Along the way, Kabu and Chicari have daring fights with the emperor, meet a giraffe and a lion, cross rope bridges and enter dark and dangerous caves.

There is very little dialogue in this production but the varied emotions and atmospheres are convincingly delivered through puppetry and well-crafted physical theatre. The various scene changes are established through simple light changes and resourceful use of a black satin sheet.

The Enchantment will be touring schools in Merseyside between May 15th and 26th before it is performed at the Ordu International Children’s Theatre Festival in Turkey.