Seven Little Wonders: Helping Starman Sam Find His Way Home Again ~ Adelaide Fringe 2024 Review

[KIDS AND FAMILY/Theatre ~ SA ~ ADELAIDE FRINGE PREMIERE] Main Theatre at Goodwood Theatre and Studios, Sat 24 Feb, 2024. On arrival the hall jingled with anticipation as children put on their bell-lined wristbands; an early invitation to join Imogen’s sensory journey. Imogen sits alone on stage with her quill, penning fantastical tales of all things seven – her favourite number. To her surprise, she soon finds herself drawn into her own story, joining Starman Sam and his six little stars: preselected volunteers from the audience. Together, they embark on a journey to bring the lost Starman home to his family. A meticulously orchestrated display of light, sound and visual projections ensues, accompanied by an array of short, expertly delivered instrumentals of keys, wind and strings. Whether Sam is hopeful and joyous, or lonely and yearning for his family, the variation in tempo and atmosphere carry us on the Starman’s emotional journey. The seamless integration of digital, and physical elements, including children on stage, shows the careful planning and preparation that has gone into every aspect of this show: evidence of artistic director Dave Brown’s breadth of experience leading decades of acclaimed children’s theatre. Lights and graphics are impactful, yet not overwhelming and well suited to the age group. Even our 18-month-old was captivated. Use of live feed images from the stage and audience were folded into the show to artfully bring everyone into the picture. And this is part of the message: that creatively working as a collective is better than solitude, and sometimes you need to work together to achieve big things. Truly delightful. 4.5 stars Joti Weijers-Coghlan #ClotheslineMag #ADLfringe