From inside the theatre, the cackling comes from the audience, not from the witches and wizards on stage. Echo Youth’s opening night of Puffs was exactly what the doctor ordered, a fresh and fun retelling of a story many of us grew up learning to read or enjoyed reading to our children.
Set at a certain school of witchcraft and magic, Puffs shows what was going on in the overlooked house, the one where the brave, smart and sneaky students didn’t want to be. The audience is taken on a whirlwind adventure through seven books of Puffs history, each more absurd than the last.
While Wayne is the hero in our story, his housemates, the Puffs, won’t be pushed into side characters anymore. Dramatic, over-the-top and occasionally invisible, the Puffs students keep you engaged throughout the entire 110-plus minutes.
Outlandish physical theatre stunts, an original score with some familiar tunes, and birds falling from the sky almost make you forget the story you know. That is, until familiar characters pop up as their finest selves – the golden trio may even be better than the original; who knew Ron’s hair could say so much?
Pushing the expectations of youth theatre, the cast delivers the play flawlessly with witty retorts, tongue-in-check references, and moments of heartwarming character development.
The perfect night out for lovers of wizardry, performance, and fun for all ages. Highly recommended, 4.5 stars.
Read more:
Cast a spell with Puffs at The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre until 20 May; theq.net.au
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