Spare Parts Puppet Theatre presents Beanstalk starring Sam Longley at Ellie Eaton Theatre Claremont Showground

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre is inviting audiences to walk in the shoes of a giant in the school holidays with its production Beanstalk that flips the traditional Jack And The Beanstalk script. Premiered by the company in 2021, Beanstalk is a 50-minute, high-paced adventure in the clouds as the giant Brian tells the tale from his perspective. This creative approach comes from the mind of Perth’s own gentle giant, 208cm actor and writer Sam Longley. “As a man of height, Sam has always been looked upon and treated as different, and also as anyone with special needs knows, it’s often difficult to navigate the world when the world is not often designed for you,” director Philip Mitchell says. “He was also appalled that a giant was the bad guy in the story when in fact Jack was the one stealing all the giant’s stuff. Giants throughout history have always been portrayed as the bone-munching evil big guys, and it was time to correct that preconception.” The first bean was planted with Mitchell when Longley approached him with the idea in 2019, and together with designer Bryan Woltjen, Beanstalk grew across a trio of week-long creative developments until they worked out how to tell the story visually. The solution was to use fruit and vegetables as the puppets, given the innate ability for these foods to be eaten and destroyed. “You will laugh and cry along with the ups and downs of a loaf of bread as Jack, reel in horror at the squishing of tomato villagers, and be filled with wonder as a forest is conjured from various bunches of celery and green veggies,” Mitchell says. “Sam is technically a giant and has created this work from his own experiences of being a man of height and being treated differently. His natural sense of humour and warm personality fills the character of Brian, making you care and love . . . him as he spins magical clouds and transforms his kitchen into a world of magic and intrigue.” While sitting in the director’s chair, Mitchell says he remains in awe of Longley’s ability to transform a loaf of bread into the totally believable character of Jack. “In a world where tolerance and being able to look at the world through someone else’s eyes is so important, I hope that a little bit of that rubs off on every person who sees the show,” he says. “And that you will not be able to walk through the fresh section of the supermarket in quite the same way ever again.” Beanstalk won Best Mainstage Production at the 2022 Performing Arts WA Awards, and the creative team are proud of this affirmation that theatre for young audiences can be regarded as the best theatre available in Perth. Having been individually honoured by Performing Arts WA Awards this year with a lifetime achievement award, Mitchell says the Beanstalk nod was testament to the quality of the work they created at Spare Parts, and how much the arts company valued and respected its young audience by giving them the highest quality experiences. Audiences five years and older will have the chance to experience Beanstalk all over again, or for the first time, during the July school holiday season. “Beanstalk is one of those Spare Parts shows that audiences can enjoy over again,” Mitchell, also Spare Parts’ artistic director, says. “When you think about how much a child develops in four years, a six-year-old will have a totally new experience as a 10-year-old. It is also about to embark on a tour throughout Australia, and how could we not start that tour in our own theatre?” Beanstalk will travel on a national tour across Australia from August to November. “As Australia’s premiere puppet company, it is such a joy to be able to bring the magic of puppetry to audiences throughout Australia and to take the WA brand to the rest of the nation,” Mitchell says. “We are often overlooked, and it is important the Eastern States know about the quality of our work we create here in the most isolated city in the world.” Beanstalk is at the Ellie Eaton Theatre, Gate 1, Claremont Showground, July 5 to 19, tickets at sppt.com.au.