Theatre Now Review: Pete The Sheep

March 28, 2021

“As you would expect, there are plenty jokes aimed squarely at the parents in the room. In fact the show is so well balanced with multilayered commentary and humour that is very nearly becomes as much of a show for the adults as for the kids.“

After COVID and the continuous rain, you have been waiting for somewhere to take the kids- you just found it.” – Lynden Jones 4.5 stars

Monkey Baa is finally back and young theatre-goers are rejoicing. One of the countries greatest theatre companies for young people, their shows have toured the nationally and internationally, have opened their doors post COVOD with the return of one of their most popular shows, Pete the Sheep. Could there be a better show to re-open Monkey Baa, that a show about sheep?

Jackie French and Bruce Whatley’s Pete the Sheep was the follow up to the smash Diary Of A Wombat. Another quirky tale, this time about a sheep-sheep, no not a sheep-dog, a Sheep-Sheep who rounds up sheep with his best mate/owner Shaun not with a harsh bark or yap, but with a polite word. After the artistically talented shearer Shaun has finished they leave with some spectacular cuts. Word travels and soon all the sheep want the latest ‘do’. This does not go down well with the other shearers Ratso, Big Bob and Bungo and when their own Sheep-dogs return with a new look it is time to head over and sort things out.

With director Jonathan Biggins teaming with longstanding colleague, Phil Scott (composer and lyricist) you know the show is going to be a success and that it will be filled with great songs, lyrics and some irreverent comedy. At the start of the show we hear “g’day, ewes!” – yep, we are heading in the right direction. As you would expect, there are plenty jokes aimed squarely at the parents in the room. In fact the show is so well balanced with multilayered commentary and humour that is very nearly becomes as much of a show for the adults as for the kids. The music is not bland, poppy, ear-worm stuff that is continually rolled out in many children’s programming, rather it is sophisticated and covers quite a wide range of genre’s.

The set is designed by James Browne. It is simple but extremely effective. Corrugated iron walls shape a wooden platform with two shearing shed wooden ramps. Immediately we know where we are and when it transforms into the shearing saloon later in the show, the quick and simple change gets a response from the young audience – what more can you ask? The costumes are also simple and effecting, blue singlets and hair/head pieces for all the various animal characters. The show is designed for a travelling show but it never feels like it.

But a good script needs a great team of actors and, thankfully they have got that right as well. Andrew James reprises his role of Ratso the ringer (as well as Tiny and one of the sheep), he was Ratso at the premier in 2014 and he is still rounding them up and shearing them in 2020. Joining him are Joe Dinn (Big Bob, Brute and one of the sheep), Joe Kalou (Pete, Bungo and one of the sheep) and Oliver Lacey (Shaun, Fang and one of the sheep). These actors are on and off in various characters for the entire 50 minutes, sometimes with only seconds to swap the headgear and race back on. The show is seamless, characters come and go, songs roll along and dance steps are in place. This is a tight ensemble and the energy never wavers.

The show is a great fit for the 4+ audience. There were some younger than 4 in our audience and many were quite entertained. My young 2 and a half year old was quite engaged at first although he was quite vocal about there not being any sheep, no failing on the part of the performers or show, he just wanted a real sheep. His attention wavered by midway through the show but I know in a few years he will love it.

Overall this show has not lost any of its charm, fun or impact since its opening in 2014. The opening afternoon audience absolutely loved it. After COVID and the continuous rain, you have been waiting for somewhere to take the kids- you just found it. It opens on the 6th April.

Lynden Jones, Theatre Now