‘Home’ by Patch and Restless, perfectly encapsulates the world of children’s play

Review
August 14, 2022

KIDDO reviewer Carla Caruso entered the whimsical, wondrous world of 'Home' and had her imagination fired up.

WORDS: Carla Caruso

This new theatre show perfectly encapsulates the world of children’s play, with the colour and sparkle amped up.

Home is a collaboration between Patch Theatre (well-known for making shows for 4- to 10-year-olds) and Restless Dance Theatre – a company, which works with artists with and without disability.

The show stars Zoe Dunwoodie, who’s previously performed alongside Cate Blanchett and Bluey (!), and Charlie Wilkins, who’s a lead dancer with Restless, has Down syndrome, and is also a Special Olympics medallist in swimming.

In this 45-minute production, the pair are playmates, and they invite us to join them in their imaginary games. They’re accompanied by a ‘talking’ toadstool house, which the audience often gets to hand around like pass-the-parcel. (I gather there’s meant to be a fairy hidden inside, voiced by someone offstage, but she’s too small to see!)

Meanwhile, at the centre of the stage, there’s a bright yellow door – and every time it’s flung open, there’s a ‘special delivery’ and a new world opens up.

It was fun to see well-known features of children’s play become larger than life, from pipe-cleaner stick figures magically morphing into real-life dancers to a bunch of cardboard boxes being transformed into a rocket ship with fairy lights.

Throughout the show, young volunteers are also called up onstage to be part of the fun, whether using a glow-in-the-dark rope to ‘hear’ people’s quirky thoughts – “I wish I had lobster hands”, for example – to one moving about the space in a foldable play tunnel à la a giant slug.

Other audience participation comes in the form of eyeball balloons being bounced around the crowd like beachballs and kids being cheered on to dance.

Snails are also a theme of the show. Audience members are encouraged to make ‘hand snails’ with the googly-eyes they’re given before the show starts, and later, a giant, white, parachute-material snail takes over the stage.

As it says in the show notes: “A snail is never far from home, no matter where they roam.” And, in this context, it seems to symbolise that, as a child, you can let your imagination run wild and have many adventures through play – from travelling to outer space to walking with dinosaurs – while remaining within the safety of your home.

At the end, Zoe reminds the audience of their hand snails, created by clipping the googly-eyes to your thumb and making a fist. “You’ve all got your homes right with you; you can go wherever you want.”

And, indeed, a rich inner life can help you dream big and reach for the stars.