Room on the Broom at the Arts Centre Melbourne - Review
Best-selling children’s author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler’s magical tale Room on the Broom, comes to life on stage at Arts Centre Melbourne these school holidays.
The colourful and beautifully staged show stays true to its original story of a witch and her cat who are flying through the wind on their broomstick until a stormy wind blows the witch’s hat, bow and wand to the ground, with the inclusion of catchy songs and witty comedy.
Four performers are joined on stage by three loveable puppets who cause much laughter from the audience. A playful dog who enjoys a game of tug of war with the witch and her beloved hat and loves howling at the moon, a green bird who wants nothing more than to join her flock on the beaches in Bali (listen out for the “Kiss me, Ketut!” reference) and a handsome frog with a Southern drawl - all of which are played by the two male cast members.
Image supplied by Sydney Opera House and Tall Stories
The quirky witch - who sometimes even wears her hair in a beehive – and her loyal cat are a lively combination and their close relationship is played out as they journey together to find the witch’s lost belongings while making new friends and coming face-to-far with the witch and chip loving dragon.
Arlo and Macy (aged 2) managed to sit through the entire 55 minute performance which is recommended for age 3+. Even the slightly scarier part of the show when the fire breathing dragon is defeated by the ‘mud monster’ didn't seem to phase them, although Arlo was quite concerned that the dog and cat were sitting too close to the bubbling cauldron!
Image supplied by Sydney Opera House and Tall Stories
Room on the Broom is a truly magnificent play that had us iggety, ziggety, zaggety, zooming out the door, with big smiles on our faces. We highly recommend that you fly into Arts Centre Melbourne in January to see it for yourself.
