REVIEW: Blueback by Tim Winton | Spare Parts Puppet Theatre

REVIEW: Blueback by Tim Winton | Spare Parts Puppet Theatre

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre isn’t afraid to tackle the big subjects. Their current production, a stage adaptation byPeta Murray of Tim Winton’s short novel Blueback, takes a deep dive into the subjects of death, ecology and environmental protection. Is it too much for kids to handle? Not a chance.

As always, Spare Parts is gentle in its presentation of these challenging subjects in Blueback. Director Philip Mitchell’s approach is straightforward but creatively expressed, so that these challenging issues are handled with appropriate care, but in a way that sparks the imagination. Not everything is spelled out for its audience, whether it be for the adult contingent or the under 18 set, but it doesn’t need to be. Spare Parts realises that kids understand far more than we often give them credit for, and we don’t always need to shield them from the darker shades of life. They also realise that adults could use gentle reminders of the important things, never forgetting that the show needs to engage the grown-ups as well as the kids.

Read the full review on Australian Stage Online here.