WHETHER you’re familiar with the popular Peanuts comic strip or the animated television series of Charlie Brown’s pet dog, Snoopy, one thing is for sure: many of us had a soft spot for these beloved characters when growing up.
So if the idea of this sounds appealing to you, then you will be glad to know that Durban’s KickstArt Productions are presenting the mini-musical comedy, Snoopy: The Musical at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre which starts on Friday.
Directed by Steven Stead and Charon Williams-Ros, with musical direction by Justin Southey and design by Greg King, Snoopy: The Musical features all the familiar cartoon characters including Charlie Brown played by Bryan Hiles; Lucy played by Carol Trench, Peppermint Patty played by Caitlin Kilburn, Linus (Lucy’s brother) played by Graeme Wicks, Sally Brown by Katy Moore; Snoopy’s silent sidekick, the small scrappy yellow bird, Woodstock played by Evashnee Pillay and, of course, Snoopy played by Stead.
Tonight caught up with director and actor Stead who explains how the concept of directing this production came about: “I saw a production of this show staged by the late Geoffrey Sutherland at the old Alhambra theatre in 1982. I was 12 and totally fell in love with it. I have wanted to do it ever since. So, this is a bit of a wish fulfillment fantasy come true! One of the things that struck me most about that first viewing was that my entire family loved the show and came out happy and humming the tunes, from my 8-year-old little brother to my military pilot dad. Not many shows have that broad appeal to such a wide age group.”
As for what’s going down on stage in terms of song and dance, Stead reveals: The show takes its cue very much from the cartoon it is based on. The set is a neutral, clean white space, like the backgrounds of the comic strip, with the colour introduced in the kids’ costumes, six multi-purpose over-sized toy building blocks (that become everything from a school room to a movie theatre to a pumpkin patch) and a large red-roofed dog kennel. The live band is placed behind a raised level behind a cartoon picket fence at the back of the stage.
“We move through the seasons of a single year in the lives of these kids and their dog with the help of magical, multi-coloured lighting by the talented Tina le Roux. Each song is like a little comic strip exploring some issue or idea, and most of the songs are very upbeat and jolly, with one or two ballads thrown into the mix for contrast.”
Shedding light on the themes that the production touches on, the director and actor tells me that the show, like the Peanuts cartoon, uses the anxieties and hopes of a small group of ordinary suburban kids to explore the sort of existential dilemmas facing all of us.
“Such as who am I? Who am I to other people? How do I make sense of this sometimes cruel and chaotic world? It touches on all those big questions in a small, gentle way, embracing the absurdity of existence while also celebrating our ability to hope and dream,” he adds.
With quite a lot on his plate as both the director and cast member in the show, I ask Stead how he managed to keep up with the hectic schedule and work load: “I have done this before on Dangerous Liaisons and Annie but this time, I decided I needed a proper co-director who could be my eyes and ears when I was on stage, and I am very lucky to have Charon Williams-Ros as my right- hand girl.”
And Stead does not play just any character but the star of the show, Snoopy.
“The kids look at him and just see an average neighbourhood pooch but he has flights of fantasy that see him starring in the story of his own life. He is a braggart, but I think loveable at the same time, because all the while, he is quite ordinary. He has some great songs to sing which I am relishing. The show is an entertaining delight that is totally accessible to everyone, no matter your age, gender or race. It is a toe-tapping, heart-warming celebration of what it is to be human,” he shares.
l Don’t miss Snoopy: The Musical which runs at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from Friday to August 23. Age restriction is PG6 . Tickets range from R110 to R200 at Computicket and Shoprite.