The Fifth Elephant by Brisbane Arts Theatre is a stage adaptation of the fantasy novel of the same name written by the late Sir Terry Pratchett. The book belongs to the Discworld series that is set on a flat planet. In the kingdom of Überwald, humans, dwarfs, vampires and werewolves are living peacefully together …
Just kidding. It is a society shared by different species, there are bound to be social issues and political conflicts. Our hero Sam Vimes is a commander of the police force and a Duke. Due to his special position, he is sent to investigate the theft of an important treasure to the kingdom.
In Sam’s journey with his wife and his team, they slowly find out the secret of the kingdom and learn about the nuance of the political relationship between the four species. Even though the story seems like something from a children’s book, the concept and political references are very close to the world we live in. The play captures the wit of Sir Terry Pratchett, offering the audience a funny and interesting visualisation of the novel.
The pace of the play is a bit too slow at first, possibly because of its need to introduce the background information of the Discworld to the audience. It picks up an appropriate pace from the middle to the end of the adventure.
I particularly like the performance of the actresses. The acting of Kailan Tyler-Moss who plays Sam’s wife, Lady Sybil, is very natural and delightful. Jacqueline Ellis totally nails the interpretation of the charismatic and spooky vampire, Lady Margolotta. Young actress Arabella Hillmann who plays the talking dog, Gaspode, has done a great job as an energetic narrator.
Notably, actors Matthew Finman who plays Captain Carrot and Adrian Hogan who plays the “Frankenstein’s monster” housekeeper Igor also contribute some comedic moments to the show.
The play as a whole is a bit like a high school production, but actresses and actors in general have been able to bring the audience into the adventure. The original story itself is fascinating enough, and this adaptation written by Stephen Briggs is not bad. So I assure you it is worthwhile to spend your night watching this play, especially if you want to support our local production.
The show is on until 2 November. You can book your ticket at www.artstheatre.com.au.
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