The Wolf and Peter

★★★★

CoisCeim Dance Theatre

Sydney Opera House, July 2. Until July 16

Reviewed by Jill Sykes

This dance theatre piece for children and their adults has a light touch and plenty of action. It should please all ages – at least most of the time.

In the opening sequences, delighted chortles from the youngest members of the audience reverberated around the theatre, adding a delicious back-to-childhood dimension for the rest of us.

As the story unfolds, it's not too scary, but its twists and turns to a positive ending are quite cerebral and the nuances probably out of reach for the youngest ones. Yet the bones of the story are there and easy to follow.

The contemporary style of this small Irish company, CoisCeim Dance Theatre, has a familiar base vocabulary, which the dancers extend with meaningful athleticism in choreography by artistic director David Bolger.

Ivonne Kalter​, who plays Peter, is an astonishing mover. Her limbs go every-which-way with such fluency that it's hard to believe there are bones inside. And the fact that it's a girl in a boy's role adds a degree of playfulness.

Mateusz Szczerek's wolf is also athletic and full of character in his range of steps, which include a bit of breakdance.

The golden duck, with his floaties and other swim-safe gear, is a powerful personality. The bird is pompously funny. The cat, in contrast, is predictable. All these performers play supporting characters as well.

Sergei Prokofiev's marvellous music takes us most of the way, vigorously played onstage in a piano reduction by Conor Linehan. Unfortunately, the additional music he composed is wishy-washy in comparison.

The set is simple, well-lit and effective, and the story takes just a child-length hour to tell.