THE CLOCKWORK FOREST - ARTS HUB REVIEW

by Katie Preston

Doug MacLeod’s book The Clockwork Forest has been transformed into a hauntingly beautiful play currently running at The Sydney Theatre.

The play is about a young boy’s journey through a dark forest which leads him to meet many mystical and crazy characters. Along his quest he learns about love, friendship, trust and revenge.

Morton, played by Cameron Goodall is a young boy who lives by himself in a forest. His only friends are a box of small mechanical animals that must be wound up everyday in order to stay alive.

After a girl comes to visit Morton she leaves behind a shawl. A storm approaches as Morton attempts to find the girl to return her property. He returns to his house, what parts of it are left, after the ravenous storm. The animals are gone so he must go and search for them in the scary forest full of interesting plants, animals and characters.

Goodall is wonderful as Morton, a scruffy young boy, having the audience in hysterics at times playing the character who is cheeky but kind and thoughtful.

The rest of the cast include Paul Blackwell, Jacqueline Cook, Kate Box and Rory Walker who all do a great job of playing multiple characters throughout the 80 minute production.

Rory Walker who plays several characters including Monk 1 (narrator) had the audience in stitches on opening night. He does a wonderful job of transforming from one role to the next and engaging with the audience as he explains the next part of the story as it unfolds.

The play is directed by Brink Productions Artistic Director, Chris Drummond who transforms the stage into a new kind of wonderland for audiences. Brink who have a reputation for innovation, offering viewers a fresh experience have produced an incredibly magical play with all sorts of plants and strange animals. Drummond utilises the stage with amazingly ‘clockwork like’ trees and doorways.

Windmill Performing Arts has once again provided us with a great performance which is perfect for the entire family to enjoy. With an array of themes and intriguingly mysterious characters it is a play which can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Designer Gabriela Tylesova has created amazing sets and costumes that give a unique twist on the ‘dark and scary forest’ theme.

Loki, one of the mysterious characters Morton comes across in the forest rides a boat that glides across the stage illuminated by blue lights which are projected onto the stage from under the boat.

Lighting was used throughout the performance to emphasise the forest, the devastating storm and the eerie place which the characters were exploring. Many times during the performance cogs and moving wheels were projected onto the stage to dramatise the forest and perhaps also to remind the audience of the clockwork animals that Morton was searching for.

David Gadsden was able to use lighting to highlight certain parts of the stage and draw attention to critical elements within the story.

The composer Stuart Day used a diverse range of interesting musical instruments and sounds which added to the magical atmosphere of the play. The storm, represented mainly by drums was effective and created a real sense of thunder.

Interestingly, he used a violin bow on cymbals to create an eerie sound when dangerous or frightful characters were introduced into the story.

Scene transitions are quick and done very well. Seeing as the play had a large portion of children in the audience this is important. Many giggles could be heard throughout the production adding to the child-like feel of The Clockwork Forest.

The play is an amazingly well done production by Windmill Performing Arts and Brink Productions. It is the perfect entertainment for children and for those who enjoy indulging their inner child with a bit of magic every now and then.