Created and originally performed by some of Soulpepper’s most legendary Academy graduates-turned-resident artists, Alligator Pie will always be a testament to the company’s multi-disciplinary strength, spirit of invention, and dedication to fun. A wild romp of a non-linear kids show adapted from Dennis Lee’s beloved book of poems, Alligator Pie has made its long-awaited return to the Young Centre stage for the holiday season, this time in the hands of the current Soulpepper Academy class Alicia Barban, Belinda Corpuz, Ben Kopp, Ruaridh MacDonald, and Haneul Yi.

 

The production is taking place amidst the hectic Distillery Winter Market where the Young Centre is doubling as a tourist hub featuring highly touted hot chocolate and Santa Claus himself. The result is an overwhelming lobby experience. The company has opened a side door and the cabaret space to theatre patrons in the hopes of sidestepping some of the madness but the noise and the crowds and the bathroom line are still tricky additions to the Alligator Pie experience, especially when wrangling little kids through the hubbub. And you have to be wrangling little kids. Alligator Pie‘s particular brand of nonsense seems to resonate far more strongly with kids than adults in its current iteration with lots of fun opportunities to make noise and react to funny outfits but only a moment or two of real depth (“With My Foot in My Mouth” remains the highlight of the show even after all these years).

 

Quite a bit of new material has been added to the original version. On one hand, the spirit of creation was always integral to Alligator Pie so giving the current cast the license to contribute makes sure that they share in that spirit when performing the material. That said, the original crop of creators (Ins Choi, Raquel Duffy, Ken MacKenzie, Gregory Prest, and Mike Ross) was a particularly special group so it’s difficult to see much value in diluting their work. With the exception of “Skyscraper”, a new sequence that had the audience on the edge of their seats, there isn’t much that’s all that memorable in the new material and the show is starting to feel a bit bloated. With no real throughline, Alligator Pie needs to be bright and tight and constantly moving to keep its thrill alive. This group of Academy graduates has a lot to live up to as they move onto bigger projects but, when it comes to Alligator Pie, they don’t quite fill their predecessors’ giant goofy shoes.