Australian Ballet School
POSSUM MAGIC
PLAYHOUSE, ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE REVIEWED DECEMBER 15
It is really a genius move to leverage the appeal and Aussie flavour of such a well-loved story and at the same time hand the young dancers some wonderful opportunities to interpret these favourite characters.
CORRESPONDING with the 40th anniversary of Possum Magic by legendary children's writer Mem Fox and glorious illustrator Julie Vivas, Loughlan Prior has created Possum Magic, the ballet for the senior students of the Australian Ballet School. It is really a genius move to leverage the appeal and Aussie flavour of such a well-loved story and at the same time hand the young dancers some wonderful opportunities to interpret these favourite characters.
Possum Magic, the ballet is a fun-filled romp through the Australian landscape, featuring all of our iconic animals. At its heart is Hush, a little possum who is made invisible by Grandma Poss in order to keep her safe from harm. But Grandma Poss has forgotten what magic she wove to create this protection. So starts a search through our great continent to find just the right food to return Hush to visibility. Hush and Grandma Poss hop on a bike and commence their grand tour, accompanied by all their critter friends. Hush's invisibility was magicked by the simple device of a costume change - her colour is stripped and she regains it little by little as she and Grandma Poss find just the right food.
As Hush, graduating student Milana Gould is beyond cute. She also happens to have crystalline technique and artistry to burn. A lot of the choreography for Hush has a contemporary feel, combined with a touch of clown, and there is a "just right" feel to the casting. Equally, Kit Thompson as Grandma
