I,Peaseblossom review
I, Peaseblossom is a show that started life in 2004 and although it was written for unruly eight-year-olds, there is no sign of audiences growing out of this fantastic production any time soon.
This one-man show tells the story of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ from the perspective of fairy Peaseblossom, a character that has a total of four lines in the whole play. Creator, writer and actor Tim Crouch says that the idea of using a minor character to explain a Shakespearean tale was deliberate as they are the outsider of the story looking in, just as children often are in life. Those minor characters often have the clearest perspective on life and can be our heroes. I,Peaseblossom is the second in a series of plays that use this tactic to tell Shakespeare to younger audiences.
This adorably clever and engaging show immerses you in the childlike innocence of Peaseblossoms world. The audience is the show, and show works around its audience. This will make it a truly unique experience every night. Certain audience members are selected to play roles in the storytelling as Peaseblossom assigns them parts and prompts them with their lines via flash cards. If there had been more kids in the audience last night I can image all kinds of trouble.
There is no fourth wall, we are in the round, the globe, an organic force of theatre and life intertwining to equal joy and laughs and some wonderful moments of actual Shakespeare. There is no need to know the story of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ or understand references or quotes but only to absorb yourself within in it and allow it all to flow over you.
Crouch embodies little Peaseblossom and fills him with childlike both enthusiasm and disgust equally…..who’d wanna fall in love…errrrrrhhhh. His performance feels like the best bedtime story you ever heard that’s unrehearsed and improvised, yet we know this is a masterpiece that’s been carefully constructed over time.
If you can get your little hands on a ticket I, Peaseblossom is on at Musgrove Studio, Maidment Theatre until 12 December thanks to The British Council New Zealand.
Reviewed by Ingrid Grenar.
Photo credit – Matthew Andrews