RAPUNZEL ALONE - review

 

The Murphy Girls in WW2

During the bombings in the second World War, for their safety, thousands of children were sent away from London to stay with strangers in the countryside. In fact, my sisters and I were among these, and we spent one year on a farm in Dorset. I was two years old, and people said I enthusiastically went out to herd in the cows each evening. 

So naturally I was intrigued when I heard that this show was about a little mixed-race girl sent to live on a farm in WW2! 

However, this child's experience is far bleaker than mine. Her farm-owner is a formidable, emotionally unreachable woman who, because she was from Africa, was embittered after being called a 'witch' by the local rubes. How a child deals with stern domination is the theme of this play that somewhat parallels the Grimms Brother's (grim) tale of a young girl's imprisonment. 

All is sadness until Gertrude, a large goose, a creature that seems to embody an evil spirit, roars in with beak open to attack. The child is at first terrified, then as she timidly collects eggs, and witnesses the magical arrival of goslings, her heart fills with tenderness. As she becomes the protector of these fragile creatures, will Gertrude, who has tolerated this intruder, now accept her?

       How to categorize this as a children's story is a problem, as it's so full of undeserved cruelty that one fears it unsuitable for kids. Still, the production is wildly imaginative, with moving screens denoting places, people and events that drive the action along.

 The voiceover by author Mike Kenny, that sets up the story, is a needed asset. Sadly, the exchanges between the child Lettie (Tara Alise Cox) and her unkind hostess (Marie-Francoise Theodore) are often barely audible, while bratty local kid (William Leon in a dynamic and delightful performance) can be heard clearly.

Stealing the show is Gertrude the Goose, the funniest and most energetic bird, boldly escorted by puppeteer Matt Curtin. Children in the audience clapped and laughed whenever Gertrude appeared, and someone nearby actually asked their neighbor, "Is that goose real?" as she certainly appears so.

The show, written by Britisher Kenny, is produced and directed by the dynamic 24^th Street Theatre team, Jay McAdams and Debbie Devine. This production moves to Beverly Hills and will play at the Wallis Center for further weeks. 

For information: (310) 746-4000 or TheWallis.org/rapunzel

Production photos by Cooper Bates.