Could Macnas have stumbled on the secret of how to keep young children riveted for more than an hour? Like many good children's stories, A Tall Tale, part of the Babor≤ International Arts Festival for Children, is based on a quest. Micil∅n (Miguel Angel Barcel≤ Ramis) has an unusual pet - Joey the giraffe who is eating his poor mammy (Rachel Devir) out of house and home. It doesn't take long before Joey draws the attention of the professional rustlers Push (Helen Gregg) and Shove (Eileen Gibbons), who cart him away to their secluded island hideaway. What follows is a magical mystery tour in the time-honoured tradition of The Wizard of Oz.
The play is directed with the meticulous attention to detail that we have come to expect from Macnas, with clever use of mime, music, masks and sound effects. But their greatest prop is the unfettered imagination of the children themselves. The action takes place all around them, like an all-encomposing surround-sound system, and they are encouraged to participate as often as possible.
Devised and directed by Judith Higgins, A Tall Tale is a beautifully crafted foray into fantasy. She is well served by a flexible cast, with Midie Corcoran particularly good as the playful shopkeeper. Miguel Angel Barcel≤ Ramis is also strong as the little lost boy, while Helen Gregg and Eileen Gibbons excel as the wicked giraffe-nappers. But perhaps the real star of the show is Joey the giraffe, who is only revealed to the audience at the end of the play after they have crawled through a tunnel at the back of the theatre. It's a fitting end to a magical journey.
