Charming West African folk tale Baobab brings light to MTYP stage

As the snow melts (and freezes, and melts again, and freezes again) here in Manitoba, a sun-baked, drought-stricken region of West Africa may seem very far away and foreign indeed.

But Baobab, the latest show at Manitoba Theatre for Young People, brings a West African folk tale to life for young audiences here with intimacy and charm.

The production from Montreal's Théâtre Motus tells the story of Amondo, a boy hatched from an egg in a village where the water has disappeared. To reclaim it, he'll have to complete a series of tasks to find the heart of the sun and use it to release the water from the deep roots of a giant baobab tree.

That may sound complicated, and the threads of the plot do occasionally get a bit messy. But this is essentially the familiar story of the hero's journey, and it's told with winning style in this production.

Writer/director Hélène Ducharme blends joyous and mesmerizing West African music (from Aboulaye Koné, a fabulous marimba player, and Nathalie Cora playing the kora, a stringed African instrument) with clever shadow puppetry, traditional puppetry, song and storytelling in a package that consistently engages.

It treats its timeless subject matter with respect, but not over-earnestly. There are some lovely bits of physical comedy, especially as Amondo — represented by a puppet skillfully manipulated by Philippe Racine — faces off against the baobab tree's guardian monkey, played with silly charm and great energy by Sharon James.

There are a few spots where the 55-minute production lags slightly, but for the most part, it offers up enough laughs and surprises, and propels the story along smartly enough, to engage the elementary school-aged crowd it's aimed at.

Baobab is a welcome trip to a sunny place.

Baobab has public performances at MTYP March 24-26.

MTYP announces 2017-18 season

Manitoba Theatre for Young People has announced an upcoming season that features a Canadian clown duo who are Fringe faves; a lion, a witch, and a wardrobe; and a beloved blockhead.

Here's what's coming up:

Circus Incognitus (Oct. 20-29): Montreal's Jamie Adkins — a former Cirque du Soleil performer last seen at MTYP in 2011 — brings his acrobatic clowning back to open MTYP's new season.

Of Mice and Morro and Jasp (Nov. 10-18): Fringe favourites Morro and Jasp — the clown duo of Amy Lee and Heather Marie Annis — bring their hilarious retelling of Steinbeck's classic Of Mice and Men back, after a successful run at the 2012 Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Christmas (Dec. 8-30): A holiday double bill highlighted by the stage adaptation of the well-loved 1965 animated Christmas special, featuring Vince Guaraldi's famous music.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Jan. 26-Feb. 4, 2018): C.S. Lewis's fantasy classic for kids takes to the MTYP stage next winter, with a tour of elementary schools to follow.

It's Dark Outside (Feb. 16-24): It's a Western, a puppet show, a wordless theatre piece — and it's about dementia. This show from Australia's Perth Theatre Company (who brought their dark and delightful Adventures of Alvin Sputnik to MTYP in 2014) has been a hit in Oz and the U.K.

Tetris (March 23-29): A highly physical dance piece from the Dutch company Arch8 "for the kids who can't sit still." And yes, it's inspired by the video game that has confounded the spatially impaired for decades.

Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny (April 21-29): These puppet versions of Margaret Wise Brown's gentle classics from Nova Scotia's Mermaid Theatre, last seen here in 2010, return to MTYP next season.