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Pinocchio perfection
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[Manuel Harlan]
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Pinocchio
National Theatre, London
BEAUTIFULLY wrought, and spellbinding in its execution, this Pinocchio reverses expectations.
In this version by Dennis Kelly, Pinocchio is played by a real person and some of the human characters, including Pinocchio’s father Geppetto, are represented by huge-headed puppets, each crafted in the spitting image of the actor who holds them aloft and gives them voice.
It’s a clever trick that allows the audience to focus interchangeably on either the puppet or its human embodiment with no loss of effect or drama.
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