Sammy J is not having a good day, his electricity has just been disconnected and to top it all off he’s just discovered a portal to another world. And when this portal leads him to the Forest of Dreams, a journey of self-discovery is bound to happen; at least that’s what the local talking tree tells him he should expect. A talking tree? Yes, you see this forest is inhabited by all manner of wonderful characters, who just happen to be puppets, and very funny ones at that.Sammy J befriends a little blue fellow named Philo, who words him up on the ways of the forest, and how best to avoid falling foul of the King. Of course it’s bound to go wrong, as after all, like the talking tree told Sammy at the start, this is a journey of self-discovery.
Sammy J in the Forest of Dreams is a very funny show, but on top of that it is an ambitious show, in that it marries perfectly the art of puppetry with musical theatre and good old-fashioned storytelling. And it does it very well, it’s a credit to Sammy J and his excellent puppeteer Heath McIvor that the show comes off as smoothly as it does. You believe the interactions between Sammy and all of his Forest Friends and it’s the camaraderie between the two performers that makes the show great fun to watch (and to be truthful by the end of the show, you’ll find it hard to believe that one man performed all those puppets).
While watching the show I was reminded of other such puppet comedy shows, most notably the Muppets who appeared in the first season of Saturday Night Live and the Henson Company’s Puppet Up! which was a huge hit at last year’s festival. What makes Sammy J in Forest of Dreams so good is not just its professionalism, but the fact that Sammy J is a local show built for a local audience and that alone is worth celebrating and supporting.
Sammy J in
The Forest of Dreams
It’s a musical. For adults. With puppets.
Directed by Alan Brough
Venue: Bosco Theatre, Federation Square Melbourne
Previews: 20th - 23rd March
Season: 20th March - 13th April (no show Mondays)
Tickets: $22.50/$19.50 concession; $15.00 previews
Times: 8.15pm Tue-Sat / 7.15pm Sundays
Bookings: Ticketmaster 1300 660 013 or comedyfestival.com.au