"A play for anyone who has never been destined to save the world"
This charming play graced Alex Theatre, St Kilda with it's magic through to the 12th of August. I was lucky enough to see this show in it's final weeks and front row seats were the best decision for the action. Big shout of the set designers for doing a fantastic job of transporting the audience into the world of wizarding. With the whole foyer and theatre shrouded in items that felt like they were straight out of Hogwarts, it was hard not to feel part of the action.
This show is a beautiful parody of life at Hogwarts but from the perspective of the Hufflepuffs (the house that everyone forgets). With their chirpy and constantly happy attitudes it's really hard to not smile. After the first "Hello" they swiftly steal your heart. This play was very funny, credit to Playwright Matt Cox's wonderful writing and the actors brilliant comedic timing.
Some stand out moments from the show included an adlib moment between Daniel Cosgrove's Sport Teacher and Male Swing David Todman as he heckled from the crowd. Safe to say there was not one person that could keep a straight face, including some of the other actors. Playful moments like that make the night all the more memorable.
But it was Matt Whitty's portrayal of Mad Eye Moody had us in tears, mainly from that bloody googly eye and over the top walk. Simple yet highly effective, I was pissing myself with laughter. His version of Snape was also quite funny, especially the image of him teaching young wizards about Sex Ed.
The overall story of the show was presented quite creatively through a narrator, reading each school year from a book, very meta and we loved it! Riddled with inside Harry Potter Jokes referencing the Books and Films, this show really caters to their audience.
Matt Cox cleverly parallels the golden Gryffindor trio with the three main Puffs, creating a beautifully familiar dynamic. However the story isn't all that predictable, keeping the audience on their toes between laughing and crying.
The message of this play was sweet ( and maybe a little tear jerking), but definitely left everyone feeling inspired to be happy as there's a little bit of Puff in everyone. We can be happy with 3rd place, be kind to people, and yes sometimes we lose our keys. We can all find a little bit of the Puffs in our everyday lives.
PUFFS is a must see show about acceptance and embracing your differences as your strengths. It's a beautiful reminder that you don't have to be everybody's 'hero' or the 'chosen one', you can save people in other ways and be the hero of your own story. Though the magic is heavy in the show, the headmaster says "the greatest magic is love" ~
http://www.puffstheplay.com/australia#company
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