The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is the new Christmas show from Northern Stage in Newcastle. A lively cast burst on to the stage here at my favourite Newcastle Theatre. After a cancellation two years ago and the run being cut short last year, I finally I get to see it!
This is a full on romp, with scarcely a second’s pause for breath for the hard working cast. The story is loosely based on the old poem from 200 years ago, where the Sorcerer leaves his apprentice in charge and everything goes horribly wrong!
A Wizard show
The leading character is Hatty Rabbit the thirteenth child of ‘Mam.’ The first scene is the labour ward where the thirteen babies are born. The little mites are flung over the screens, and the hospital staff have to catch them! All the babies become orphaned however, when mam dies shortly after the appearance of Hatty.
The show then continues apace as we follow Hatty’s journey. It begins with our heroine going to live with her Aunt Fudge. Primula Fudge is a larger than life character and totally dreadful. She is brought to life with relish by Heather Dutton.
Next Hatty goes off to a boarding school for challenging children. Here she meets her best friend, Evie Spelk. After a mysterious invitation arrives, Hatty finally meets Hopkin Hopkins – the Sorcerer himself.
Because she is the thirteenth child, Hatty holds the magic which can ‘save the world!’ As a result, she becomes the Sorcerer’s Apprentice!
Show songs
There are lots of original songs here, some stronger than others, but it’s all live music which is great. As with most Christmas shows, there are a fair few dance moves to go with the musical numbers and lots of explosive bouncing around which is a lot of fun. The puppet of ‘Rats,’ Hatty’s rat friend is very realistic.
He does a lot of meaningful squeaking which we can pretty much understand. I would have liked to have seen more of the beautiful puppet fox also created by Georgia Hill. We only seem to get one glimpse of her in the show. She needs a bigger part.
Special effects
It wouldn’t be a Christmas show without a few special effects. There is a regular helping of dry ice puffed out into the audience, and quite and a few pyrotechnics too. The lighting design is very good, as usual. The giant cooking pot erupts into what seems to be a large Roman candle at one point, which I greatly enjoyed.
The cast
All of the cast were lively and engaging, they are clearly enjoying themselves! Special mention goes to Jessica Johnson as Canopous Sly, effectively the baddie of the piece. She held everyone’s attention and had real physical presence.
I loved her pin strip outfit and shiny shoed swagger. Jessica is also great with a bit of Ad Lib as she pokes fun at the audience. This kind of banter appeals to adults as much as the kids. I think there might have been more of that kind of interaction, which caters to all of the audience, not just the youngsters.
A magical romp
In conclusion this show is definitely worth a visit. A lot of effort has gone in to making something new and original that will surprise and delight. Yes there are quite a few nods to Harry Potter, but that will probably make it all the more popular.
Tickets cost from £10 and can be bought from the Northen Stage website.
Sign language, Audio described and relaxed performances are available and the show runs until the 7th January.
More shows from Northern Stage
The Lost Happy Endings – Ballet Lorent
The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel
The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson