Review: The Road That Wasn’t There brings magic to the stage

From miming to mirroring, the young actors show a maturity of skill in this production, and the chorus utilise a breadth of vocal techniques.

There’s pure magic on the stage in Taranaki.

West Coast Youth Theatre Company’s production of The Road That Wasn’t There is a standout show that whisks its audience into an enchanting world of adventure, possibilities, and curious tales. This modern New Zealand folk tale is a must-see, and is absolutely dripping with imaginative theatre techniques.

In the programme, director Holly Shanahan tells us this show was made on the smell of an oily rag. There was no budget, let alone a big budget. While that must have been difficult, it has helped give birth to one of the great successes of this production – the sheer inventiveness. What West Coast Youth Theatre may have lacked in budget, they made up for tenfold with genuinely impressive creativity and rich and resourceful design. The audience is left feeling like we’ve been treated to something from the mind of Neil Gaiman or Tim Burton. To see a piece of local theatre that was so filled with sheer artistry was exhilarating.

The props, the set, and the design in general are largely made from paper, a reflection of the meandering paper road at the heart of this story. With paper, a cemetery is built, a monster battles with a girl, a pīwakawaka flitters about the stage, and magic is created. With just a torch, a hand, and some paper figurines, a curious shadow story is cast onto a paper cyclorama. At other times, a paper trail lined with fairy lights illuminates the audience, weaving us all into the magic. We are whisked away to worlds filled with adventure, enthralled by the story, and awed by the creativity.

Reviewer Taryn Utiger says West Coast Youth Theatre Company's production of The Road That Wasn't There is absolutely dripping with imaginative theatre techniques.

Having seen this show in its original form - with two actors and a collection of puppets - it’s almost mind-bending to experience it as an ensemble piece with a cast of 24 and only one puppet. This original interpretation of Ralph McCubbin Howell’s text is charming and clever.

Everything wonderful about theatre is in this piece. There’s brilliant chorus work, there’s miming, there’s mirroring, a breadth of vocal techniques, all-encompassing soundscapes, and a lighting design that illuminates, hides, and adds ambience. And then there’s the acting. The cast of teenagers come together to show just what talent can achieve when it is nurtured and developed. Their characterisations are fully formed, and an array of acting techniques are used to great effect. The physicality of characters is captured in everything from the way heads are moved, the way bodies are hunched or extended, the way voices are whispered and roared, and even down to the way lips are held and released. The core actors and the ensemble weave their magic together, handling multiple characters and creating a tale that is both funny and moving. At times, the talent on display belies the age of the cast and makes it hard to fathom that these are young people. It’s difficult to single anyone out, because every member of this cast has the potential to make theatre their career.

The Road That Wasn’t There is a wonder-filled show that deserves every ounce of the praise that echoed from its audiences. It is a reminder of child-like adventure, the magic of live theatre, and the limitless possibilities of imagination. My only hope is that this extraordinary company can secure a windfall of funding, so audiences can see what beautiful theatrical worlds leap from their minds in the future.