If the theatrical adaptation were a dog with two siblings, one named book, the other Television, it would be the bouncy, endlessly enthusiastic, and noisy counterpart to its more sympathetic relations.
Freckle Productions and Rose Theatre’s newest show, ZOG and the Flying Doctors, is a perfectly adequate adaptation of Julia Donaldson’s best-selling sequel to the 2010 illustrated read-along book, ZOG. Directed & Adapted by Emma Kilbey, with music & lyrics from Joe Stilgoe (the same team behind Freckle’s second adaption of ZOG), the show relies heavily, and aptly, on Donaldson’s child-pleasing, and gently witty rhymes, but brings a quasi West-End cum Panto feel to proceedings.
It certainly hits the narrative beats of the source text, but for families expecting a gently capering tone closer to the well-received, and all-star voiced BBC adaptations, expect far, far more energy, and a lot of songs. Indeed most of the show is sung, and done so well by a cast who give every inch of the show their utmost gusto.
For the unimitated, the show opens with a recap of our heroes’ adventures in ZOG, the story/play which went before. This episode’s capers see ZOG (Ben Raymond), working with friends Pearl (Lois Glenister), a retired princess, and Gadabout (Alex Bloomer), a retired knight, as flying doctors. They tend the ailments of sun-burn mermaids, sore-throated lions, and dual-horned unicorns, before falling foul of the Princess’s uncle, the King (Danny Hendrix), who has very antiquated views on a the proper deportment of princesses. It’s up to ZOG and Gadabout to assist Pearl — very much not a damsel in distress and architect of her own bid for professional freedom.
Hendrix and Sarah Freer, in Mermaid guise, give the stand-out performances, the former a most charming dinosaur, the latter a most vocally excellent sub-mariner.
Production-wise, there’s less to marvel at here than in the company’s earlier ZOG adaptation, the backdrops are pretty, and the limited puppetry cute, but efforts here are very evidently focussed on the music. Stilgoe’s melodies, and riffs on Donaldson’s writings are fun, and cheery in the main, though the re-cap song is a little merciless in its complexity, and unfortunately, the only number to suffer a lack of clarity.
Adapter/Director Kilbey, keeps the action nipping along, and never lets the energy drop though. The show is at its most engaging when entering into call-and-response with the audience, but lacks the emotional depth of the text. Kneehigh’s Mike Shepherd, and Folk musician/star actor Johnny Flynn created Freckle’s first ZOG-world from live musicians, and magical puppetry; it’s difficult to avoid the feeling that something has been lost in this newer iteration.
It’s fun, it’s tuneful, but it might not be the ZOG you were looking for. That might suit you, but bear it in mind.
