Review by Rohan Alston-Fisher
You and Me and a Great Night at the Theatre
CDP Kids
Canberra Theatre Centre
The beloved children’s book You and Me and The Land of Lost Things by Andy Griffiths and Bill Hope is brought to the stage in an adaptation by Richard Tulloch, directed by Liesel Badorrek in a production by CDP Kids. It follows the wacky escapades of brave adventurers You (Mym Kwa) and Me (Catherine Dominguez) as they search with friends for an all manner of lost (but soon to be found!) things, alongside a nervous bull (Matthew Lee) and the scheming Johnny Knucklehead (Nicholas Starte), through the mysterious Land of Lost Things. Recently visiting the Canberra Theatre Centre, the show is a riot of hilarity for younger audiences.
The pacing shown by the actors is snappy throughout, with the cast constantly bounding about the stage and climbing on the set with enthusiasm and energy. The production’s use of props contributes to the sheer speed at which the story unfolds. A wardrobe is quickly turned into a storefront, and then into a ship’s brig. This momentum works to keep the attention of younger audiences held, but it sadly left older members like myself a little disoriented. I didn’t mind that much overall, as the show is meant for younger audiences.
Even though I wasn’t the target audience member for this production, the actors’ work still impressed me. The mix of regular speaking switched out with sung tunes and rhymes intermittently helped keep dialogue playful and interesting. All the while, clear characters and brilliant costumes made each encounter unique and curious. This combines with the whimsical mise-en-scène to create an atmosphere as magical as something out of Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
You and Me and The Land of Lost Things tells a quirky and enjoyable story about friendship, giving an action-packed hour of adventure for nearly everyone. It remains loyal to the original messages of Griffiths’ work, speaking on the importance of working together and (however corny it may feel) that sometimes the real treasure we found was the friends we made along the way.
