AS THE TRADITIONAL heavy velvet curtains part and the sheer magic of Grant Knottenbelt’s set, with all its bells and whistles, cobbled pathways and Italian provincial signs appear, a hush that signifies young people’s awareness of the imminence of magic, descends over the audience. But the intake of collective breath on the part of all the children in the audience, when the Blue Fairy (Nonhlanhla Mkhonto) appears, is even more palpable, in this enchanting production of My Son Pinocchio, at the People’s Theatre in Braamfontein until 21 April.

It’s a brightly coloured and unabashed work which features Gamelihle Bovana’s beautiful singing voice in the various roles he plays, as well as some very fine direction of children. Kiran Moodley plays the little wooden boy in question, in the production upon which this review is premised, and from underneath a fairly debilitating costume involving a long nose, he is as modulated and articulate as any experienced adult performer would be. Without showing off or being foolish, he gives his Pinocchio a tender empathy and conviction which is as engaging as it is sophisticated and moving.

Raymond Skinner and Lesedi Mphse as the two unequivocal baddies in the tale, Gideon the Cat and Honest John the Wolf, are delicious in their ability to entice the gullible former puppet to break rules. It’s a wink-wink genial kind of opportunistic naughtiness, which reaches from their cheeky faces and conspiratorial gestures, right down to their fluffy tails. It is however, the work of Peo-entle Pitso, as Columbine, one of the puppets caught by her strings to play in a circus forever more (among other roles), that really captures the heart. She’s got a sense of unselfconscious energy and quiet confidence that will lead you to agree that this little girl could have a future on the boards.

The weirdest element to being in the audience of this show, however, is the decorum of school teachers, sadly enough. At the performance on which this review is focused, too many teachers whipped out their cell phones to film as soon as the theatrics began, and the standard announcement to switch off phones and avoid recording were made. It seems our industry needs to educate once again, but from the top down, this time.

The production, in tune with this theatre’s established working style and chosen genres, teaches all the good values of being moral and telling the truth and getting rewarded for being nice. But it is also bold and brash and features mirror balls and lots of tricks and turns in the lighting department, a layering of sound that sometimes forces the piped music to clash and smash against the audibility of the lyrics and the mandatory chases around the theatre, all of which generally have the children in hysterics that have nothing to do with sugar intake and resonate more with moments of sheer unbridled havoc, a tonic to us all.

• My Son Pinocchio is directed by Jill Girard and Keith Smith based on the eponymous book by David Stern and the 1940 Walt Disney film. It features creative input by Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics), with additional music by Leigh Harline and lyrics by Ned Washington; Sandy Richardson-Dyer (musical staging); Coenraad Rall (musical direction); Grant Knottenbelt (set); Keaoboka Moerane (sound); Mlungisi Patrick Mbatha (lighting); and Luciano Zuppa (costumes and props). It is performed by Gamelihle Bovana, Nonhlanhla Mkhonto, Lesedi Mphse, Raymond Skinner and Luciano Zuppa with a child cast. This review is premised on the performances of the following children: Kiran Moodley (Pinocchio); Tholoana-entle Pitso (Lampwick) and Peo-entle Pitso, Kagisano Sexwale, Shiraz Shapiro and Thabile Ntshiza (ensemble). Other children involved in alternate casts in this production are Caiden Distiller, Zoe Fine, Boikanyo Lekasapa, Amani Mbatha, Ntsako Mtombeni, Deborah Ngwenya, Vivian Radebe-Llewellyn and Bailey Vickery. The work is onstage until 21 April 2024 at the People’s Theatre, Joburg Theatre complex in Braamfontein.