The Pun

City Head

By Matthew Buschmann ⋅ April 23, 2007 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Moppets (don’t mess with Henson) and Lego’you can’t go wrong! Promising Melbourne theatre company Sticky Apple Legs combine musical theatre, puppetry, comedy, and a sharp script from successful playwright Tom Taylor in the world premiere second show. It’s the first of its kind to deal, through comedy, with the exceptionally rare condition (so rare it escapes research) of City Head’a society living in your brain.

The show started even before the audience was ushered to the show room from the ballroom bar. Puppeteer and actor Troy Larkin slipped into the union-flagged hall with Doc, a sociable, touchy-feely moppet with a dramatic South Park-esque voice. A similar entrance was made into the tiny Evatt Room. He stroked faces, joked on a physical appearances, then reassured, ‘It’s okǃ?I’m a doctor.’

Sitting face to face with the moppets in such an intimate environment provides a fresh and surreal experience for festival-goers. City Head achieves comedy through each medium utilised during its performance, from the lively dioramas populated with animated Lego characters, to the consistent moppet voices and personalities. It also alludes to our impact on earth and our lack of vision in dealing with problems.

Sticky Apple Legs aims to provide high quality original work on a low budget. They accomplished their mission with effective use of front-row torch lighting effects and the simplicity of the Lego medium. The storyline, although short, is absorbing and entertaining, and the labour poured into the moppets and dioramas is effective. Well worth a nibble.