The Koala Who Could

The Koala Who Could is a heartwarming play about a young Koala scared of facing change. With the help of his friends, Kevin the Koala learns to explore the world around him and embrace change. I was super excited to watch this show, since it is set in Australia, which I haven’t seen before. The setting brought about lots of opportunities for the explorers to see new things and discover new animals. Through the whole show, you could tell all the children were mesmerised with the performances, and were really invested in the plot. 

I have to applaud the set and scenery because it was creative and innovative. I loved it when the cast were building Kevin’s tree, so the audience could ‘zoom in’ to see what Kevin was doing. The props used to build this tree were also used elsewhere, and I enjoyed that the whole show was centred around this tree and the comfort it brought Kevin. The interpretation of the Australian outback was brilliant, and all the different animal costumes were fun and easy for the children to understand what type of animal it was.

The whole cast took part in bringing Kevin to life, not just Christopher Finn (Hansel and Gretal, A Christmas Carol, Grimm), who was brilliant in his own right. Finn was bright and enthusiastic, and his superb Australian accent added to the richness of his performance. Accompanied by Danny Hendrix (101 Dalmatians The Musical, War Horse, Gangsta Granny) and Sarah Palmer (Jekell and Hyde, Anne of Green Gables, Much Ado About Nothing), the audience was right there in the Outback alongside Kevin. I was particularly captivated by Hendrix’s performance, and I loved his Welsh accent for Wombat. He clearly has a natural talent for acting, and his delivery was impressive. Similarly, Palmer impressed me with her wide range of accents that separated each of her characters. Her stage presence was engaging and I enjoyed watching her.

The show was interactive, appealing, and bright, which many of the children enjoyed. The length was also perfect, because it meant all the children were engaged and having fun. A moment that stood out to me was a race between all the animals. There was even a Dingo commentator, who was talking to each of the animals to help us learn their characteristics and why they wanted to win the race. 

All-round it was fun, captivating and a joy to watch. All the children in that theatre were very invested and enjoying themselves. Whilst it is a children’s show, no adults were left bored, and I’d say it is an enjoyable show for all. If you’re looking for an opportunity to take your children, grandchildren, brothers/sisters, nieces/nephews to a show, this one is sure to be performance you are looking for.