Review by Amanda Lancaster

Charlie Franklin has a dream – it’s a pretty big dream too. Well I guess it would have to be wouldn’t it, given that it’s the dream Charlie has had for his whole life! Ambitious in his aims, Charlie’s deepest desire is to fashion a self-written and self-produced musical drama of epic proportions. One that features all ups and downs of  Broadway, a smash hit success, accolades and applause await.

Fame, success, stardom – Charlie can see it all now: his name in lights and his likeness plastered across billboards ten storeys high. Opening night show is nearly upon us , the curtains will rise, places, everyone, places! Wait …where exactly is everybody? Performers, music makers … DISASTER – this dream is quickly becoming nightmare! Charlie’s imaginings are seeming more and more like realities as one or two hillarious hiccups rapidly become a mayhem of madness.

The show must go on … but how? Charlie’s larger than life show biz spectacular now seems to be shrinking into nothingness, so it’s up to him and a handful of his tenacious troupe to make sure this grandiose production happens. Improvisational, impromptu, spontaneous collaborations of melody and adventure blend cleverly with an array of wild characters and an almost nomadic feeling narrative. An Extraordinary Tale is exactly that – extraordinary. It’s unique, memorable, and exceeds the normal expectations associated with children’s theatre.

So how do you make a larger than life musical extravaganza without the masses of cast members, sets and props housed in a gigantic venue, or even a lengthy enough duration in which to accomplish any of the aforementioned feats? You  present it to the right audience of course.

Small children, the young at heart and those who just don’t want to grow up yet will find this energetic, madcap,  myriad of laughter and tunes to be exactly what a larger than life show should be – a non-stop hour of fun for all ages!

When: 11th – 19th February 2017 | 3:00pm

Where: De Parel Speigeltent | Fringe Central | PERTH

Tickets: $16 – $21

Info: Duration 45 minutes | Suitable all ages | WA Artist | Children’s Theatre

Link: https://fringeworld.com.au/whats_on/event/an_extraordinary_tale/f4672379-a6a7-48b0-ab94-0ab40537fb39/