New dad’s, Barnie Duncan and Alistair Deverick joined forces to create this show aimed to entertain the under sevens. There may not be a trickier audience to entertain than a theatre full of children, accompanied by their various caregivers, but these dads know the formula and hold the attention of all for the full fifty minutes.

Duncan is the protagonist of the show. Dressed as Napoleon he is on the search for the moon. He has a repertoire of entertaining antics from bubbles to mysteriously moving balls. He is adept at mime and humour abounds, most of it aimed at the younger age group but enough of it at a more sophisticated level to keep the adults entertained. He sustains the role for the full 50 minutes at a frenetic pace that must be exhausting.

Deverick is in charge of producing the sound effects and music for the performance. He uses a variety of percussion instruments to create some unworldly sounds as well as some clever electronic loops and synthesized music. The sound scape supports and enhances Duncan’s antics and Deverick’s brief appearance as an alien adds a further dimension to the performance.

There are several opportunities for the audience to get involved in the performance. Duncan obviously has the knack of finding the right child for the role and the few he picks play their parts with confidence and humour. An astute selection of song ensures the audience will join in and bring much joy to the younger members of the audience.

Anyone who can keep a two-year-old engrossed for fifty minutes must be doing a great job. There is something for everyone in this show and I enjoy the opportunity to have a good laugh, both at the on-stage antics and the marvellous comments from the children around me. For many of the children this is probably their first live performance. Their enjoyment will surely be a catalyst for attending theatre in the future.  

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A kids’ show can be a tricky thing.

With their show Moon, Barnie Duncan and Alistair Deverick enter into that most flimsy of arrangements with an unpredictable crowd. Kids aren’t polite the way adults are. If they lose interest, they let you know.

I can’t find out much about the performers – the only information I have is from the Tauranga Arts Festival brochure, where they state they are “new dads joining forces to create a show their kids and their kids pals would like”. I’m hoping this is an underplay and, as a lover of clown and all that is possible in this medium, I’m looking forward to this show.

The kids and their parents look interested as they enter the space. The Cargo Shed, by the Tauranga waterfront, is lit up with eerie blue lighting, with intriguing musical instruments set up on stage and, most promisingly, a large inflatable moon sitting enticingly above the audience.

The moment of anticipation is slightly anticlimactic when one actor (the musician) enters and doesn’t engage with the audience, and then the star of the show enters, somewhat low in energy. (I assume this Napoleon clown character is played by Barnie Duncan, but as no show program is provided, it’s just a guess.)

He soon warms the audience up as he turns to acknowledge them, and he begins a journey which includes some lovely moments of clown and humour, as he seeks help finding the moon. Some of the best moments in this show are when the young audience get more and more frustrated with Napoleon’s failure to see the enormous moon that they keep pointing out. There are also sporadic fart gags, which always go down well, and lively music that often creates a fun engaging atmosphere, but sometimes doesn’t.

There are some clever clown gags and some others that fall a bit flat, plus some audience participation in which I feel a bit concerned for the slightly unwilling adult, as I’m not sure Napoleon has his complete trust. The actor playing Napoleon keeps giving it his all. He manages to pull a few of the mischievous young audience members back onto his side when their attention starts to wander and everyone is happy when the huge shining moon finally joins the party.

I’m a firm believer that kids’ shows offered up as part of an arts festival should be just as good as the other shows in the festival – that kids deserve to see world-class just much as other festival attendees. The Tauranga Arts Festival has included some amazing children’s shows in previous festivals.

Is Moon world class? No. Does it keep the audience engaged and invested? Mostly. It’s not bad – it’s quite fun: two dads creating a show that their kids and their kids pals might like. 

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer