Pinocchio | Old Joint Stock Theatre

The story of famously beloved puppet Pinocchio has landed at The Old Joint Stock for the final stretch of the year as the first ever family festive show to hit their stage, lighting up the intimate space for only an hour with music and a forebodingly mysterious tale written by Holly Mallett - known equally for her work in children’s TV as part of CBBCs Andy and the Band and exploration of original work both as an actor and writer, creating many pieces aimed at bringing atypical stories to the forefront. These two experiences collide with Mallett’s musical talent to create a whimsical adventure not like anything you’d previously imagined the story to be.

This retelling of the classic tale is nothing like the well-known Disney story - rather Mallett utilises a much darker plot to deliver a strong message about family, youth and navigating the world as someone considered ‘different’. Beginning from a fallen branch, we follow the story of Pinocchio from his creation, through coercion by strangers in the woods that leads to his kidnapping, the friendships that help him and the tragic climax that almost ends the puppets life. The more brutal deliverance of the show makes it more unsettling than the original, but nonetheless it maintains its appeal to families by making each moral clear by directly addressing the audience in both song and dialogue to reinforce the message behind each challenge or triumph. On top of this, it is a visually exciting show that encourages deep thinking about themes that are not often delved as far into as they possibly could be.

The story was told by an impressive cast of actor-musicians, entering the stage and using their instruments to charm the audience and set the scene in a pre-show introduction. The cast play all the music in the show including underscoring, creating a magical tone and establishing them as narrators falling in and out of various characters at (almost literally) the drop of a hat. The unique instrumentation of the show adds to the whimsical, fairy tale atmosphere, feeling reminiscent of an old oral storytelling tradition that shares lessons through myths - and most importantly is often associated with musical accompaniment. Many instruments played by the cast are classically associated with love and yearning, and together they create a coherent and often longing or wistful sound that really emphasises the feelings of the characters and the heartache they face along their journey. The show benefits greatly from having the storytelling and music closely intertwined not only to give it a folk feel, but also to benefit the narrators as they guide the tone of the piece both through words and soundscape.

The cast themselves as performers were all enthusiastic storytellers who excelled at establishing the magical tone of the piece and drawing in the audience's attention, flowing well through many modes of storytelling such as physical movement, sound and music, and typical dialogue while taking on various human and non-human characters alike, stepping into both naturally. With the direction of Emily Susanne Lloyd, they strategically push the ebb and flow of the narrative and allow the suspense and discomfort within the story to exist without shying away from disheartening moments, but take the same time relishing in moments of relief and peace and refusing to prioritise lightness over darkness or vice versa.

Perhaps the main feature of the show above all this, though, was the Pinocchio puppet itself. Beautifully designed to capture the sweet innocence of the child he was and somehow able to convey deeply human emotion that resonate with the audience and make us empathise with something that we know is different to us. The puppet comes to life attached to it’s puppeteers body, with tap shoes bringing it to life through sound as well as physical presence. The puppet evokes a strong reaction from the audience, and feels sometimes haunting to watch despite feeling affectionate towards it as a familiar character and representation of innocence that we see learning difficult life lessons throughout the show. Pinocchio is also not the only puppet in the show, with a few other smaller puppets featuring throughout the show as well, which creates more exciting novelty for the audience to keep them engaged and ward negative tension away.

Other significant features of the show include a detailed and specific lightning design, from the fairy lights illuminating most of the space to non-naturalistic stage lighting that emphasises the fantastical nature of the show and guides the story just as well as any other story telling element used within the writing. The costume design for the show feels appropriately similar to period clothing with modern, celtic or fairy tale inspired twists, sometimes reminiscent of gothic fairy aesthetics and give the narrators each a wild, feral edge to them that make them adaptable to each character they play with token costume pieces.

The Old Joint Stock's first adventure into a family show for the festive season may not have been a Christmas classic, but still was the perfect use of the theatre’s intimate space and feels like a show that uplifts in a different way to any other show you may see at this time of year. While it’s right to say this show is appropriate for families (especially with a short run-time for small attention spans), it’s recommended to be aware of young children's tolerance for potentially upsetting scenes as the show does not back away from showing the dark sides of the tale. However, if you prefer your Christmases with a wild fantasy twist, a unique kind of traditional feeling and beautiful puppets, Pinocchio is likely to be a highly enjoyable venture.

Pinocchio is showing at The Old Joint Stock until 30th December 2025.

Tickets and More Information

★★★★★ (5*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review