If you want an exciting experience for your children during the school holidays, take them to see A YEAR WITH FROG & TOAD at the Ensemble Theatre. The young audience yesterday were mesmerised throughout the show’s 60 minute duration.
The play had its first run in 2008 at the Ensemble, winning the GLUGS Award for Best Children’s Production. Director Anna Crawford has brought back her enigmatic and delightful show for a return season.
The cast are all very competent actors, singers and dancers.
The timid and cautious Toad (played by Jay James-Moody) is reluctant to come out of winter hibernation and is goaded by the swashbuckling and adventurous Frog (played by Stephen Anderson) to greet the spring. They are visited by an amusing and colourful array of forest creatures,– (played with great flair by Jonathon Freeman, Crystal Hegedis and Lizzie Mitchell) – the elegant birds, the meddling moles, a mouse, a turtle and the hilarious snail with mail – played appropriately with a slow southern USA drawl by Jonathon Freeman.
The play originated on Broadway, followed by its world premiere in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It has had 3 Tony Award nominations in the USA, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.
Crawford has put together a great crew. A fabulous set by Anna Gardiner, razor sharp choreography by Shondelle Pratt, atmospheric and beautiful lighting by Matthew Marshall, fine costumes by Margaret Gill and sound design by Daryl Wallis.
The dialogue and song lyrics are simple, clever and easy for children to digest. It is a show well worth seeing.
A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD plays at the Ensemble Theatre from Sunday September 29th to Sunday October 13th.