Kensuke's Kingdom

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King

Playwright/s/Composer/s – by Michael Morpurgo adapted by Stuart Paterson

Production Company/Theatre space – StoryBook Theatre at The Beddington Arts Centre

Length – 2 ACT, 2 hours, 5 minutes (one 15-minute intermission)

Genre/s – Drama

Premise – (spoiler) A young castaway and his dog land on an island inhabited solely by a Nagasaki bomb survivor and ends up protecting the orangutans from the hunters who could have possibly rescued him.

Why this play? Why now? – This play fits our past and current fear of men with guns and bombs and what those things do to humans and animals. It’s a little told story that could stand to have more productions.

Curiosities – Why would a father greet the family dog before his long-lost son? Why doesn’t the kid see the fire on the hill he has been begging to have lit?

Notable Moment – Baby turtles!

Notable writing – It takes too long to get to the island where the heart of the story lays. The inevitable rescue ends up being contrived rather than crafted. And as much as I despair of the Disney machine taking over all children’s entertainment, this script would benefit from their touch.

Notable performances – This show rests on the shoulders of young castaway Parker Painchaud and he carries this load beautifully. If he wants to, he could have a long career in this business. Kensuke (Mark Kamachi) plays a stoic but depressed man who has lost his family and lived without human interaction. Stella’s (the dog) puppetmistress is Ciorstaidh Reid, who has some kind of Henson magic. Jaxon Williamson-Dupuis, Viktoria Lukowski, and Sawyer Crawford – Clarke operating the orangutangs are also great.

Notable design/Production – Lighting Designer Quinlan Brown shows the power and magic of lights. Spot on.

Notable direction – Director Steven Conde made some choices that were confusing, a yacht that breaks into pieces every time it changes direction and a bit with flags that only makes sense later in context.  Once we get to the island things go more smoothly, besides some pacing issues in Act Two. The director’s notes says it’s about “the courage to embrace the unknown” but the heart of the play is about a little boy who selflessly chooses to rescue animals from death over his own need to escape - displaying rare bravery and morality.

One reason to see this show – This is a show for ages 10 and up, so if you are over age 10 go see this little, marooned, magical show.