Peter And The Wolf (2017) -
I hadn't really read the synopsis of this production so I was a tad disappointed that there wasn't a visual representation of the story, even if it had just been shadow puppets or something similar. As such I wasn't sure that Ms. Margolyes sat in her chair reading was enough.
I understood the idea of introducing the instruments, but it was all a bit silly and Miriam seemed to be struggling to project her voice, which was delivered in that patronising tone an adult sometimes feels the need to use when talking to a child.
I couldn't wait for the main story to start and I very nearly didn't. The musicians and the composition itself were very good though and perhaps only aggravated by Miriam's interruptions.
I felt that I would probably have enjoyed it more if I'd been in the theatre, but as something to watch on TV it didn't quite work for me. I might have liked to have it on in the background whilst housekeeping, but watching musicians can be quite a comedic thing sometimes, with the faces that they have to pull and actually the narration ruined the music, which was where a visual might have worked better.
When she stopped explaining all of instruments and the music fully started it was lovely, but I was lost as to whether the 'Peter And The Wolf' story had actually begun and how I was supposed to know what was going on. Where was Miriam for that? It turned out that it hadn't started.
When the main Peter story finally progressed I found once again that the narration was disruptive amid some wonderfully written music by Prokofiev.
However I was a bit lost by what was a very strange ending?
Overall I didn't think that I would have been pleased to have spent money on a ticket and might have suggested it was viable only as something to visit kids at school to teach them about instruments, but I would still include puppets or something instead of breaking up the flow of the orchestra even in those circumstances.
409.88/1000.
