This hour long World Premiere can be seen at the Blue Room Theatre, Perth Cultural Centre, 53 James Street, Northbridge at 7.00 each evening until 7^th November.

The anteroom has a display of various items, central to the lives of some of the characters. The main auditorium is painted black, there is a swing hanging central stage; this also acts as a house window. There are a couple of other clever surprises (Set designer India Mehta). A great deal of the atmosphere was thanks to the inventive lighting by Tegan Evans.

       The cast enter the stage one at a time, looking and chatting to the audience as though they were arriving to see the show. Then one of the cast starts to tell us about an 8 yr. old boy, Tim, who lived in the area about 1955, the austere period shortly after the Second World War. the year is now 1972.

       Middle-aged Clyde (James Sollis) is about to leave for his house-to-house collection, on behalf of the Heart Foundation. His fawning wife (Janet Pettigrew) pins his badge of authority to his chest before he leaves.

      Down the street he calls at the Daveron home, where the shy and nervous music teacher, Olive (Nichola Renton) gives a donation, however, Tim gets something more rewarding – special gossip about Olive’s Irish husband, salesman Mick (Andrew Hale). Next door to the Daveron’s home is the rather strange and bad tempered, Mr Figgis (Kingsley Judd).

      In another house, Ms Le Cornu (Anna Brockway) spends most of her life dressed in her Japanese dressing gown. What can be her contribution to the street, and what is her dark secret?

      Could the local wildlife be a true indication and reflection of how healthy the human lifestyle is in the street?

This wonderful tale of life in an Australian street has many similarities to Dylan’s ‘Under Milkwood’; with poetic passages and the interlinking of the complex characters. Andrew Hale, the director has developed the personalities beautifully, with some of the delightful and most experienced cast playing two or three different characters. These exceptional, richly observed occupants show us a full range of moods, traits and emotions.

The body language and the general finicky attitude of the street’s tenants, have been developed with clever choreography by Claudia Alessi. The action is fast moving and the pace breakneck at times. The treatment of a damaged cockatoo is guaranteed to raise the emotions.

The musical composition by Ash Gibson-Greig, and the soundscape from Will Slade are subtle and perfectly conceived, excelling in their understatement. Heavy handedness could easily have ruined the effect.

It is no surprise that Patrick White is Australia’s most respected writer, and this brilliant troupe have given us a magnificent rendering of his striking play.

The scene is around the 1950s in Ménilmontant, a poor area of Paris. On each side of the stage is a ramshackle, three-storey house with shuttered windows. At the rear of the stage is a park with a small hill. At the edge of the stage is a rubbish tip, where vermin gather.

A young pupil, Pascal (Dylan Christidis alternating with Rory McLaughlin and Jack O’Neill), is late for school as usual. En route, he finds a large, red balloon tangled around a lamppost. He unties it, only to discover that the balloon has a mind of its own. Forgetting about school, the boy meanders around the neighbourhood entranced by his find.
In the early morning sun, a rat (Ben Mortley) searches for food in a dustbin. A pigeon (Ella Hetherington) looks for a statue to ‘decorate’. Pascal soon finds that the massive balloon is not as popular with everyone; his mother will not allow it in the house and the bus driver (St John Cowcher) will not allow him onboard.
The local wily cat (Sarah Nelson) rubs herself against Pascal, looking for affection and a chance to burst the balloon.
Soon Pascal meets a young girl with an equally large, blue balloon (Eloise Hunter alternating with Katie Price). Naturally, a friendship follows, but with bullies in the area, the two must take care.
Will the balloon stay safe? (Sky flying puppet by Chloe Flockart)

How often do producers think, ‘it is a kids’ show, the story can be simple, the scenery undemanding and the acting effortless – they won’t know any better’. However, nowadays the children are discerning. This simple story was filled with warmth, the outstanding scenery most impressive, and the acting first-class.
Nationally recognised director, Chrissie Parrott, has transferred her acclaimed ballet skills to these dramatic performers, they glide across the stage. The controllers of the balloon meld into the background as the children become hypnotised by the mobile, mysterious balloon.
Creative mentor, Kate Cherry, has helped assemble the atmospheric production.
The magnificent set and costume design is by possibly WA’s best designer, India Mehta. India’s sets always show a brilliant use of materials and ingenuity of construction, whether it is a house, boat, animal costume her work is jaw dropping. These Parisian houses had smoking chimneys, fire escapes, balconies, working shutters – and the whole assembly could be moved by two stage crew, Georgia Landre-Ord and Claudia Blagaich. With talented sound designer and composer, Ash Gibson Greig and lighting designer, Trent Suidgeest every sense was stimulated. You could feel the poverty, smell the decay and hear the creatures just out of view.
This was an extraordinary piece of theatre.