Five Reasons To See….Opera North’s The Adventures Of Pinocchio
Opera North’s high adventure production of The Adventures of Pinocchio returns to The Lowry, Salford Quays this week. Join Pinocchio on his quest to become a real boy as he stumbles from one mishap to another, encountering an assortment of weird and wonderful creatures in a magical fantasy world. Here, Victoria Simmonds, who sings Pinocchio, gives us her five reasons why you should go along.
1. What you see
The set and costume designs are really magical and sum up the fairytale world perfectly. The set is kind of like an old fashioned story book, and the beautiful and imaginative costumes help bring the characters to life. It’s a big show with 114 costumes altogether!
2. A growing nose
“So how does it work?” – Probably the question I have been asked the most! It grows and grows and grows and grows and grows! About 6 times I think – the magic of theatre!! What a naughty little liar…
3. The music
Jonathan Dove and Alasdair Middleton have created a funny, spooky, scary, thrilling and touching show through their excellent words and lively music. The orchestration is brilliant, colouring the many scenes with originality – there are accordions on stage at one point!
4. The characters
Goodies, baddies, fun and adventure – this show will have you booing and cheering ‘panto-style’ by the end. It is filled with loads of colourful characters including Cat, Fox, Pigeon, Snail, Blue Fairy, Fire eater, Parrot, Lampwick, not to mention Cricket, Gepetto (and me, of course!) and many others.
5. What you feel
If you want an action-packed show that will leave you walking out on a little cloud, this is it. More like a musical than an opera in some ways, Director Martin Duncan and Choreographer Nick Winston bring the West End to The Lowry, creating more than a few “Hollywood moments” on the way. If you’re not humming the tunes as you come out of the theatre I’ll eat my hat!
Opera North’s The Adventures Of Pinocchio is at the Lowry from 5 – 6 November. For more details, visit the Opera North website.
