The historic charm of Pomona’s Majestic Theatre was the perfect venue for Sunshine Coast based Catbird Theatre Company’s delightfully offbeat show: Stark Raven Mad, which our reviewer Cindy Vogels enjoyed on 10 April.
Recommended for ages six and up, Stark Raven Mad is different from the usual children’s theatre.
The show is a cleverly stitched tapestry of gothic poetry, whimsy and theatrical sleight of hand that held both young minds and seasoned audience members spellbound the day this reviewer attended.
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Directed by Alice Clapham, the production draws on an eclectic collection of 37 short poems by Edgar Allan Poe, Heinrich Hoffmann, Hilaire Beloc, Lewis Carroll, Emily Dickinson and others. Using puppets, costumes, movement, and music, the show dances between deeply thought-provoking and deliciously macabre, never lingering too long in one mood. This gives the show a buoyant rhythm, making it less a linear performance and more like stepping through a cabinet of curiosities, each drawer revealing something strange and delightful.
Inventive sound effects
Stark Raven Mad is elevated with inventive use of sound. Each vignette is punctuated by carefully curated soundscapes sourced from the public domain. Retro radio snippets crackle to life; birdsong flutters through the air, a pipe organ groans with gothic grandeur, doors slam with theatrical precision, and roosters crow as if waking up the next act. These auditory cues are not just atmospheric; they are integral. In a charming post-performance reveal, the cast shared how these sound bites function as memory anchors, guiding them seamlessly through the rapid succession of poems. It’s a glimpse behind the curtain that deepens appreciation for the show’s technical finesse.
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The cast, a nimble and cohesive trio of Alice Clapham, Mary Eggleston and Aimee Gray move through the performance with agility. Their transformations are constant yet comfortable: a shift in posture here, a minimal costume adjustment there and suddenly a new character emerges. Set pieces glide in and out with near invisibility, giving the impression the stage itself is alive and quietly rearranging itself.
Audience participation
Perhaps the most enchanting element is the way the performance dissolves the boundary between stage and audience. The house lights gently rise, casting the audience into the scene. Children and adults alike are drawn into the action and recruited as impromptu collaborators. These guest performers are coaxed into whispering lines or embodying fleeting roles, their initial hesitation quickly giving way to delight. It’s participatory theatre at its most generous.
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The tonal range of the material ensures there is something for everyone. Highlights included the darkly comic Little Sucker Thumb, which leaned gleefully into its eerie roots and The King and Two Lions, a piece balancing humour and theatricality with a knowing wink.
There is a kind of quiet magic at work here. Whether it’s in the precision of the sound design, the fluidity of the performances, or the courage to let poetry — often considered a challenging medium — take centre stage in such an engaging way, Stark Raven Mad feels like a rare theatrical offering. It invites curiosity, rewards attention and leaves a lingering sense of wonder.
Stage and lighting by Kathryn Barnes. Ages 6+ (adolescents & adults also welcome)
Stark Raven Mad will tour Far North Queensland in June and July 2026.
