Original Book: Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Adapted by: Richard Tulloch
Director: Julian Louis
On a drizzly August afternoon in the summer holidays, the arrival of the 13th Storey Tree House into Manchester is a welcome sight. From the moment the audience step over the threshold, the welcoming staff at the Opera House enter into the spirit of the show, with children asked if the are ready to climb the tree and adults reminded to ‘behave’. Evidence of giant bananas is on show and the general atmosphere is one of excitement.
For those willing to use their imagination (as the audience is routinely reminded to throughout the show), an adventure up the tree in the lofty heights of the 13 storey tree house awaits. There is a see-through swimming pool, a fearsome sea creature, a secret underground liar and much more besides. Those familiar with the book by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton will know all about the wonders that lie on each level of the tree house. For those who have not read the book, the translation of this world is key to understanding the piece. With the show run time of one hour, there is little time for setting the scene however, it is essential to allow all attendees to follow and feel included.
The premise of the show is that the actual author and illustrator of the book, Andy (Ryan Dulieu) and Terry (Edwin Beats) are meant to be bringing the tree house to life on stage, but they have failed to actually write the play or create any of the set or props. This means they will have to ad-lib the play for the waiting audience. The Stage Manager Val, (Elle Wootton) agrees to help out and the original book provides the content. This justification of why the play is being staged feels laboured at times and is somewhat clunky. For this reviewer, it took some time to fully grasp the introduction and it took some time for the fact the two main protagonists were meant to be the authors. My nearly seven year old companion also struggled with this concept as she was not familiar with the book. With the afore-mentioned short run time, this initial confusion was a hinderance.
The show comes into its own when some of the crazy, silly stories that take place in the tree house begin to be told. The three actors make good use of the 2D to 3D printing device and a wide range of simple but effective props. There are times where it is unclear whether audience participation is expected and the unsure ripples around the auditorium suggest there is come uncertainty here that this reviewer thinks need to be clarified. As the show progresses, the ambiguity reduces and it is a delight to hear children laughing hysterically and encouraging some of the wilder antics deployed by the cast. The physicality of Wootton, Dulieu and Beats throughout is to be applauded.
The number of smiles at the end and the look of pleasurable bewilderment on the faces of adults suggest that the wonder of the book has translated well to stage. There is no doubting the hilarious world of the tree house has delighted the audience and there is certainly a new convert in this reviewer’s house.
Runs until 18th August
The Reviews Hub Score
Whacky summer holiday fun.
