Review: The Firework-Maker’s Daughter, Polka Theatre

Philip Pullman’s The Firework-Maker’sDaughter is a fabulous modern fairy tale, filled with all the jewel-like colour, spice and exoticism of an ambiguous distant land: it’s kind of like The Snow Queen meets The Arabian Nights. We follow the exploits of a young girl called Lila (Tika Mu’tamir) who has grown up believing she will one day be a master firework-maker like her father, only to have her hopes dashed. She runs away to a magic volcano to try to fulfil her dream, but with the help of her friend Chulak (Jules Chan) and a talking white elephant called Hamlet gets home to safety, and then helps save her father’s life. It’s a hugely epic adventure, full of action, pirates, jungles and riches, written by a master storyteller and celebrating curiosity, imagination and courage. In depicting the book, however, this adaptation, by Jude Christian initially struggles to move from page to stage, with the first half labouring under a weight of words. And for a story about fireworks, the inbuilt visual potential of dark and light, shadow and brightness is at times underdeveloped.

There’s certainly fun to be had here, with an energetic cast of five lifting the action. Mu’tamir portrays an animated, committed Lila, and Chan, Ajjaz Awad, Rose-Marie Christian and Chand Martinez work their socks off multi-roling numerous characters. However, the pace is at first slowed by the script being overly descriptive and wordy. And in the trimming for stage, elements from the book that should be hilarious, such as the slapstick pirates, end up a little half-baked.

This is a vibrant tale embracing fireworks, colour, light and dark, but this imagery fights against Anisha Fields’ complicated, domestic set design that, although fine for the workshop setting, distracts when we are supposed to be on an adventure, far removed – why have a window in a jungle, or up a volcano? Some of the exquisite detail of Maia Kirkman-Richards’ smaller puppet designs are sadly lost against it, despite valiant support from Jonathan Chan’s dynamic lighting.

The puppetry is finest at its smallest, with beautiful, breathtaking moments that include a prologue depicting a tragic family back story, and delicate shadow work on a fabric drum lowered from above that leaves the audience gasping. Knowing this is possible, it’s then hard to understand why puppetry is not used at obvious moments, such as when Lila is scaling a huge volcano and is attacked by what appear to be Amazon boxes rather than rocks, diminishing her effort and peril. And although spectacular in size, Hamlet the elephant lacks character; neither regal, enchanting nor adorable.

All that being said, this is a show of two halves, with some hugely redeeming qualities to the second act, where there’s a bundle of fun at the firework-makers’ competition. Ruth Chan’s upbeat and mysterious music, inventive object manipulation and some impressive lighting effects have the audience squealing in delight while clapping enthusiastically to activate a Clap-O-Meter. Lovely messages are cemented, telling of friendship, belief in yourself and in your family and friends, affirmation of curiosity, ambition, invention and imagination – particularly for a young girl who has smashed through a glass ceiling. Even then though, the ending is rather a damp squib, which has potential to be a blaze of glory and glitter cannons, but is instead a quiet wave and a farewell.

There’s some gorgeous work in this production, and it’s a brilliant story. Although it feels like the show is yet to find the right balance, it’s certainly lit a fuse and has potential to hit the heights as the run progresses.

Based on the book by Philip Pullman
Adapted by Jude Christian
Directed by Lee Lyford
Set & Costume Design by Anisha Fields
Composed by Ruth Chan
Sound Design by Elena Peña
Lighting Design by Jonathan Chan
Puppet Director, Designer & Maker: Maia Kirkman-Richards
Musical Director: Osnat Schmool
Puppet Makers: Paul Richards, Liberty Mann, Emily Tupholme

The Firework-Maker’s Daughter is aimed at ages 6-12 years and runs at Polka Theatre until Sunday 18 January.