Review: WILDE CREATURES, Vaudeville Theatre

Tall Stories are back as part of Vaudeville Theatre's celebration of Oscar Wilde. They condense the author's fairy tales in Wilde Creatures, exploring morality in a show tailor-made for young audiences.

Adapted by Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell (who direct as well), the stories are introduced and narrated by the Wilde Creatures, a four-piece-band who sing the debatable praises of Wilde's characters.

The starting point is inspired by The Happy Prince: the Mayor of the town decided to remove the statue from the park; the citizens disagree with his choice to erect one of himself, so now the audience need to help them decide who is worthy enough to be put on a pedestal.

They follow telling the stories from The Devoted Friend, The Nightingale and the Rose, and The Birthday of the Infanta, presenting the possible candidates, perhaps squeezing too much in a one-hour piece. Matt Jopling, Tom Jude, Steve McCourt, and Lauren Silver are, however, energetic and upbeat as they power through the different roles they play.

Jon Fiber and Andy Shaw's folk score is in line with Barney George's earthy design, giving the production a raw yet cheery vibe. Boxes and crates create the village and then transform into flower beds, with guitar (Jopling), violin (Jude), bass (McCourt), and percussions (Silver, who also plays the clarinet) leading the way.

Even though Jacobs and Mitchell don't shy away from showing gruesome deaths and callous characters, they fail in matters of representation. A lack of diversity and the prominence of male-lead storylines are a limit to the production; and as the target audience is a young crowd, one would think it essential to display inclusiveness.

Anyway, Wilde Creatures makes for a delightful Christmas outing, and Tall Stories succeed once again in reaching out to younger audiences with a big-hearted and earnest show. They manage to teach without being priggish, giving a choice instead of inculcating a moral.

Wilde Creatures runs at Vaudeville Theatre until 31 December.

Read our interview with Olivia Jacobs

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