If The Man Whose Mother Was A Pirate is anything to go by, the next two Tim Bray productions, scheduled for September and December 2006, will be colourful, tuneful, interactive and fun experiences for young children.

We were greeted in the foyer by a team of friendly pirates, who between them, showed us to our seats, gave us props for later in the show, and made sure we were in the mood for fun. We had a wee sing-a-long, then one pirate put a fresh and humorous twist on the usual cell phone and camera carry on. It was a lovely interactive way to start a children’s show, though I felt some quiet yet perky background music would’ve enhanced it.

As we learn that mum wants to return to the sea, I’m reminded what a clever and innovative story teller Margaret Mahy is, as she juxtaposes the emotional, carefree parent with sensible son Sam. The threat of Sam being replaced by a calculator or computer at his work is entertaining with an educational twist. The Farmer’s preference of known, stable, unchanging terra firma over the in’s and out’s of the sea, is another well-crafted comment on our human condition.

Bray has assembled a talented cast: As Sam, Jonathan Martin is suitably sensible and restrained, yet with a performance energy that lifts his quiet character to the right pitch and delivery, for this show.

As the Pirate Mother, Yvette Parsons is bright and brash, as she bellows the virtues of pirate-hood with great gusto, yet occasionally her focus is uneven, and not necessarily forwarding the narrative.

To be fair, Parsons is left in part to pull off some random direction, such as the burst of ‘Rock My Soul’, which borders on gratuitous, when left without an energised end.

Other off-beat vignettes are more successful: The Stop / Go sign scene, played out to Bollywood type music, while not fully connected to what comes before or after, is colourful and fun.

Bruce Burfield is a delight whenever he appears. Highlights include Mr Fat reading the newspaper, which for me, evoked teenage memories of Jabba the Hutt. His pantomime cow stole the show by sidling up to several unsuspecting parents in the audience.

As a performer, Helen Barrett is very engaging, her expressions and reactions, alight and entertaining even when she’s merely reacting to her fellow actors. Her commitment to each character played, is total.

However, while these four make an entertaining troupe, too often, a song, joke, or scene, ends somewhat low key. The energy seems to drop when the exact opposite is required. Even though the hour was filled with memorable highlights, too often endings missed this vital purposeful ‘full-stop’. Thankfully, the upbeat music played between scenes, kept the energy where it needed to be.

Top marks to Set and Costume Designer Sarah Burren, who dresses her cast in beautiful bright primaries, each accessorised to great affect. Mr Fat’s oversized chair and cake-stand are truly marvellous in neon and sponge, complimented very nicely by Dale Taylor’s Lighting Design.

While for the most part, Tim Bray’s adaptation of Margaret Mahy’s work is fun to watch, the pace at key moments in the story lets the journey down. For example, the philosopher’s scene, pondering the big questions of life, is too long, as is occurs right when the young audience are dying to get to the sea.

Other moments are skilfully executed, such as mother and son resolving the weight issue with the wheelbarrow, through the strategic replacement of earrings. The enchanting sound effect of the sea calling helps to keep the young audience focussed on the journey we’ve embarked on.

I attended with my 2-year-old daughter Ella and her 7-year-old cousin, Cameron. Ella was transfixed and enthralled from beginning to end, waving goodbye and grinning from ear to ear as the curtain closed. While Cameron was far more reserved, he too, found it engaging: "It was really good.  My favourite bit was the wheelbarrow dance and the all the singing because they did funny things." I was inspired to read Margaret Mahy’s book to Ella for her bedtime story – she loved it.

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