PREVIEW
What: James and the Giant Peach
Where: McPherson Playhouse
When: 2 p.m. on Nov. 12 and 13 (school-only performance Nov. 14)
Tickets: $20, $10 (250-386-6121)
After Victoria’s James (Jimbo) Insell jumped out of a cake to dance for a robotic spider, he got an unexpected gift.
“I was dressed as a drag queen called Smellvira,” Insell said, recalling the stunt he did for a Vancouver reception. As for the gift — well, more on that later.
Insell, a theatre designer and sometime performer, is the creator of a spectacular set for Kaleidoscope Theatre’s James and the Giant Peach. His other credits include Waiting for Godot for Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre and Ride the Cyclone for Atomic Vaudeville.
His red-gowned cake jump celebrated the 10th anniversary of Mondo Spider, a 725-kilogram, eight-legged walking machine. That project was overseen by eatArt Foundation, a Vancouver outfit that specializes in large-scale, technically sophisticated art projects.
At the spider party, Insell bumped into a fellow who runs a computer-numeric-control operation. CNC is, essentially, a system of operating machine tools via computer programs.
The encounter was of special interest to Insell. He had wanted his set of a giant peach for James and the Giant Peach to be cut out via the time-saving CNC process. The problem was, this would cost thousands of dollars — too much for Kaleidoscope Theatre’s tight budget.
No problem, said Insell’s new acquaintance. He even promised to do it for free, although the process would take 12 hours. Insell was thrilled.
The peach set weighs 700 kilograms. It is 3.6 metres high and 4.9 metres wide. Inside are a series of platforms for actors. It is painted a jolly pumpkin colour and resembles the skeleton of a jumbo peach. Sculpture-like, it wouldn’t be out of place in any art gallery.
Another happy accident contributed to the creation of the pumpkin set. In the early days of the process, Insell noticed a new design firm, Studio Robazzo, had set up shop on Douglas Street. He dropped in and explained he was interested in designing a “giant, slotted plywood-constructed giant peach.”
As luck would have it, Studio Robazzo had just finished creating a computer program able to handle such a project. Using the new technology, the firm produced a three-dimensional model of Insell’s set over eight hours.
James and the Giant Peach is David Wood’s theatrical retelling of Roald Dahl’s famous children’s tale. It’s the story of an orphaned English boy who has a series of surreal adventures after escaping the clutches of his cruel aunts. Playing the young James is Daniel Yaxley, a home-schooled actor with classical singing training who “looks exactly what you’d imagine a little James to be,” said Roderick Glanville, the production’s director.
The show features original music by Alexander Ferguson, as well as masks, puppets and shadow play.
James and the Giant Peach also marks Kaleidscope Theatre’s decision to stage all of its main shows at the McPherson Playhouse. Over the years, the theatre company has used the McPherson occasionally, as well as the Metro Studio, the Belfry Theatre and the University of Victoria’s Farquhar Auditorium. For a time, Kaleidoscope ran its own theatre on Herald Street.
The company always found the McPherson Playhouse a desirable location. However, renting it and paying for technical staff was too expensive. Kaleidoscope has solved that problem with a shorter run and by using only the existing “house hang” lighting system.
“So every time we go in now, we’re not having a $30,000 deficit that we have to work off over the years,” Glanville said. “We’re still being really edgy and creative. But smart about it.”