Mrs Wishy-Washy is delightful and colourful children’s theatre where mud in the farmyard is the glorious secret ingredient.
The Children of Woodstock played in it as the promise of the Love Generation had its final party, and parties aren’t meant to last (Prince, 1999). Farmer Max Yasgur hosted Woodstock on his dairy farm.
Comes from the original and globally successful children’s books series by New Zealand author Joy Cowley.
Music plays a central part of the production as shall be revealed. Songs written by Christine White.
Adapted by Tim Bray QSM, the founder of Tim Bray Theatre Company, New Zealand’s most successful children’s theatre company.
Linda McFetridge (actor, artist, choreographer) directs this third production of the story for the company, Bray being assistant director.
Mrs Wishy-Washy (Clare Adams) is fastidious to the point of obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness.
Her mantra. Be Clean. Be Neat. Look Tidy. Smell Nice.
We meet the three pets who fill the role of surrogate children, in their innocence and a love of the visceral experience.
Cow (Max Cumberpatch), Pig (Rebecca Ansell) and Duck (Grant Zent) are made up as cartoon characters come to life.
Kindly and indulgent patriarch to the farmyard is Mr Wishy-Washy (Verity George).
Then it becomes Carry On Muddy for children, as the three farmyard amigos do everything to avoid the indulgence of Mud, Glorious Mud. Unsuccessfully to everyones delight.
Colourful and brightly lit set has an aspect of Pop Art with the inclusion of the kitchen sink. From Grant Reynolds and Zorp Films.
The musical presentation was outstanding and perfectly coordinated, leading me to question whether they were acting behind recorded tracks. They weren’t.
Adams had the biggest vocal presence. Ansell delivered a stylised Rap. Both are singers.
The best set piece was incorporating the theme song to Seventies award-winning movie Car Wash, produced by Motown songwriting legend Norman Whitfield and originally performed by Rose Royce.
The sound crew can take a bow.
Mr and Mrs Wishy-Washy want to enter their pets into the best farm animal competition, at the upcoming A & P show.
This may be a thing of the past, the agricultural and pastoral shows which I grew up with in heartland New Zealand.
What still exists is Calf Club Day in some rural schools. I serendipitously live across the road to my old primary school. I attended my first one in 1966, and the 87th one was being held on the morning of this show.
It had rained heavily for two days prior. Saturday morning was perfect and sunny, but the grounds became a muddy quagmire very quickly. Children with their pet calves, lambs, goats, maybe an alpaca or two.
Pigs were there. On the barbecue with sausages and bacon.
Come on, this is farm (and vegetable) country and animals eat grass and burp and fart, just like vegans.
Mud becomes a glorious element and whilst us adults tried to avoid it, the children embrace it and eventually roll around in it. Accidently on purpose.
Surprisingly, the pets remained mud-free. Maybe they knew they had been groomed for this (there were lots of ribbons and bows) and were on their best behaviour.
The elements of mud and water become anthropomorphised and is played by Carolyn Lamonde. An essential character in the story, who conveys a similar element to that of the adult mystical world of Neil Gaiman’s multi award-winning Sandman series.
The transitory figure between earth elements and humans is Kazim Khan, who is in the Car Wash and comperes the Calf Club/ A&P show.
Mrs Wishy-Washy is successful at captivating the children as well as the many adults present. Both loud and boisterous in their appreciation.
Rev. Orange Peel
Mrs Wishy-Washy plays at the Pumphouse Theatre, Takapuna from 21 September to 12 October 2024. The Manukau Dew Drop Centre 15 to 18 October 2024. Tickets and booking info HERE.
