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The Purple Potting
Shed - Tour & Scottish Premiere.
Choreography - Catherine Cassidy.
Writer - Gillian Robertson.
Music - Mike Adlington and Ali McRae.
Company - Topiary Dance Company.
Dancers - Sarah Sutherland, Kate Mason and Michelle Harris.
2003 Tour Dates and Times - here .
Seen to review at Edinburgh Traverse Theatre on 3 April 2004.
Reviewer - Thelma Good.
Very pleasant show doesn't explore possibilites.
In front of the purple potting shed the insects, a reptile, a mollusc,
birds and animals crawl and fly while a bad tempered Gardner tends his
pumpkin hoping it will win him a prize. He's put a sign up saying no children
or fairies, while the children stay in the audience a fairy does invade
his garden. Despite her tricks he doesn't know she's there.
Played on trumpet, violin and guitar, the music is gently jazzy with underlying
happy themes as bees buzz, ants march and snails move slowly away. Sometimes
it's not quite clear what creature you are watching but the joy of the
music keeps the children watching and alert. On the wall of the potting
shed, is a opaque window where sections of the story happen with shadow
puppets and where we see the outline of the gardener.
It's a very pleasant show which doesn't come together despite some lovely
moments when we see a butterfly unfurl its wings for the first time, the
bumwigglying bees and a slitherly snake amongst others. Mainly this is
because there is no interaction between the man tending his pumkin to
grow
and the animals who live in his garden. The audeince dying to shout out
advice and jiggling in their seats to the music are not fully invited
in. It's a show which could grow more entrancement and is a already a
interesting introduction to the world of dance theatre for the young.
© Thelma Good 3 April 2004. - Published on EdinburghGuide.com
2004 Tour Details of Topiary Dance Company's
production of The Purple Potting Shed.
This production goes to schools in England and Scotland from 8 March -
12 May the only Public performances are
3 April at 1:30pm & 4:30pm Edinburgh Traverse Theatre 0131 228 1404.
6 - 8 May at Derby Dance Centre 01332 370911.
Theatre Editor, Thelma Good's e-mail is
thelma@edinburghguide.com
Although every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the
information presented in these pages, no responsibility can be accepted
for any errors or omissions.
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