Dance / Waru – Journey of the Small Turtle, Bangarra Dance Theatre. At The Playhouse, until November 9. Reviewed by MICHELLE POTTER.

Waru – journey of the small turtle is Bangarra Dance Theatre’s first work made for children, and specifically for children aged 3 to 7, although adults can certainly enjoy it, too.

Drawing inspiration from Torres Strait Islander culture, Waru tells the story of Migi, a turtle that, after birth on an island in the Torres Strait, navigates its way out to sea with others born at the same time, and then returns to the island to give birth to its own baby turtle.

The idea for, and the creation of the work, came from Bangarra’s former artistic director, Stephen Page, and his son, Hunter Page-Lochard, with input from Bangarra dancers and in particular Torres Strait Islander woman, Elma Kris.

Kris takes on the leading role, the story teller, in Waru. She works hard (and effectively) to engage the young audience, and to convince everyone to participate in her storytelling actions.

The cast is tiny. Elma Kris is joined by just one other performer who plays a range of roles, including the two turtles (the mother and a grown-up Migi), and a lizard who likes to eat turtle eggs before they hatch. But the story mostly flows beautifully and, beyond the narrative relating to these particular turtles, there is a wider story of the cycle of life and the need to protect the planet. Set and costume design by Jacob Nash and lighting by Matt Cox add a strong visual element to the production.

The one slight flaw for me was a loss of vibrancy in the middle of the work, in those moments while we were waiting for Migi to return to lay its egg on the island, the egg from which its own child-turtle will be born.

At this point we are told of the need take care that we do not drop our rubbish into the ocean. Kris makes the point as she removes various items of plastic from the water surrounding the island, and from the body of a sea animal that has become entangled with discarded rubbish. Kris stuffs the collected rubbish in a bag and puts it to one side in order to have it recycled. But after the early excitement of the birth of Migi and the aid the audience was asked to give in helping the new-born turtles make their way out to sea, these following moments seemed quite passive, despite their importance and their relationship to climate change

There is just a small amount of dancing in what is quite a short work. In many respects it reminds me of an old-style pantomime with the children in the audience joining in the action. They become increasingly involved towards the end, when Kris the storyteller is looking for that evil lizard who has appeared onstage for a second time and is seeking to eat Migi’s newly laid egg.

Of course, Kris pretends she can’t find where exactly the lizard is situated and the audience shouts and shouts telling her where to look. Of course, she looks everywhere but where the shouting directs her. It takes me back to those wonderful pantomime days! There is much to enjoy in Waru, for both children and adults.

I was at a performance for school children. Performances for the general public are on Saturday.