Review: YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN Is A Delightful Trip Down Memory Lane

Wednesday 6 July 2016, 7:30pm, Hayes Theatre, Potts Point

Charles M. Schulz's PEANUTS characters, which entertained people worldwide for almost half a century, come alive in YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN. Presented with simplicity, this show is a mix of nostalgia and a reminder that life isn't perfect, but with friends, and a loyal dog, it can still be good.

Schulz's beautiful uncomplicatedness, focusing on the unanswered questions, mature ponderings and daydreams of a child, his dog, and their friends is translated to the stage with equal minimalism by set and costume designer Georgia Hopkins. Whilst bolts of crushEd White cloth form the backdrop and stage 'legs' the limited features of the comics, like Snoopy's kennel and Lucy's psychiatrist's booth, are larger than life, recreating Schulz's bold images against blank backgrounds. The readily recognizable characters are presented through Hopkin's costuming that lifts the images off the page, from the black saw tooth stripe in Charlie Brown's yellow top to Lucy's blue dress with puffed sleeves. Snoopy is cleverly created with patched long-johns and beanie, ensuring that Andy Dexterity's facial expressions can be seen, although his choice to retain his moustache makes it feel like there is a dream scene of Snoopy in mysterious disguise missing.

YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN, written by Clark Gesner, brings a series of short stories inspired by the famous comic strip and subsequent television shows together in no particular order or continuity. Gesner has interspersed little snippets, equivalent to the 4 frame newspaper iterations of the comic strip, within the work as fillers that capture the Schulz's wit and simplicity. Ongoing jokes that dominated the series are translated to stage, from Snoopy's daredevil daydreams as The Red Barron to the worst baseball team in the Little League and Charlie Brown's ongoing pining over the 'Little Red Headed Girl'. Director Shaun Rennie keeps the presentation simple, ensuring there is a childlike deliberation in the expression of thoughts or dispensation of advice and instruction.

The basic backdrop is utilized by Lighting Designer Hugh Hamilton and AV Designer Tim Hope to adjust the mood with bold washes and project a cinematic backdrop for Snoopy's imagination. Choreographer Andy Dexterity inserts a liberal dose of pastiche musical theatre, chorus line style dancing with a nod to Bob Fosse along with a variety of dance styles which keeps the pace moving and energy levels up. There is a good use of mime to represent things like the school bus trip and Schroeder's interpretation of Robin Hood. Dexterity's characterization of Snoopy ensures that the beagle's classic moves like begging with his bowl, sleeping on the top of his kennel and looking perplexed at the children's antics are all retained

Mike Whalley, as the loveable looser Charlie Brown, is endearing with a gentle expression and balance between optimism and pessimism. His facial expressions are wonderful as he shares his silent thoughts on the goings on of his friends and Lucy's bossing him around. His exasperation at his beagle's dinner time antics and Lucy's ridiculous "facts" is simple and pointed without delving into nasty. He exudes the quiet, unconfident central character that appears as a bold contrast to the Lucy and Sally's energy, Schroeder's passion and Snoopy's diva dramatics.

Sheridan Harbridge and Laura Murphy as Lucy and Sally respectively both have bold, solid vocals and capture the distinctive characters from the bossy Lucy to the forever questioning Sally. The males however aren't as strong vocally but thankfully Sound Designer Jed Silver has blended ensemble pieces to ensure that they aren't drowned out by the females. It is acknowledged that Dexterity took over the role of Snoopy late in the rehearsal process but in this instance, it may have served the work better if Snoopy's solos were fully adapted into 'spoken song' and Michael Tyack's (Musical Director) band allowed to carry the melody.

Whilst the thoughts of the little kids are rather mature, Rennie has opted to have the characters presented with no real attempt to make them sound like children, apart from Laura Murphy's expression of Charlie's little sister Sally. Naturally, each has an American accent, in keeping with the origins of the Schulz's stories, but all six actors have adopted a different style of accent with Sheridan Harbridge's choice of New York Upper East Side snotty socialite for the bossy, crabby Lucy being the most obscure choice. Unusually, Ben Gerrard has given Linus a somewhat Eastern European accent as he seeks to clip phrases to mimic the 'manner of fact' childlike phrasing. Whilst Whalley, Murphy and Harbridge all give their character's a depth and texture, Gerrard and Nat Jobe (as Schroeder) don't give the boy with the security blanket and the obsessive musician as much emotion or expression, leaving them relatively neutral and harder to 'read'.

Overall YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN is a sweet, nostalgic trip down memory lane for older audiences and a lovely introduction to the characters that entertained generations across the globe. For those that were the misfits growing up, its lovely to reconnect to the perennial looser Charlie Brown who reminds us that even though things don't seem to go his way, he still stays relatively positive, giving things a go anyway, (well apart from talking to Little Red Headed Girls) and manages to still enjoy life, build friendships and be "A Good Man". Bossy, grumpy, bitchy Lucy reminds us that while these people exist, we can choose how we want them to affect us. Linus' dependence on his 'security blanket' and Schroeder's escape to his music tells us that it can still be ok to have things that make us comfortable and safe 'spaces' to retreat to.

YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN

Hayes Theatre

5 -30 July 2016

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