The Sorcerer’s Apprentice at Buxton Opera House Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Lindsay Burton
On the edge of a dark and mysterious forest stood a small village made of wood. The people who lived there knew the forest was full of magic, strange creatures, and secrets that had been passed down through stories for generations. Beyond the forest was a beautiful frozen land covered in snow and ice. At night, the northern lights lit up the sky with bright colours, creating a breathtaking sight that seemed almost magical. It was in this snowy world that Gunda was born.
As the show starts, we meet Gunda (Philippa O’Hara) as she sings and talks us through the background story of the sorcerer and the chosen apprentice. We also learn of the failed attempt of the sorcerer’s first apprentice – Buxton favourite Jennifer Hague as Marith. We also meet Dad (James Grimm) and Mum (Orla Gormley) and start to see the start of the ingenious puppeteering. As the tale progresses, we finally meet the sorcerer (Nimshi Kongolo), and Gunda’s exciting adventure truly begins.
Throughout the production, I was genuinely surprised by the vocal talent of the entire cast on stage – Philippa O’Hara is brilliant as both singer and storyteller, and the role was perfectly cast! All the songs were catchy and brought the story together beautifully.
The ingenious puppetry is something worth mentioning – from the start of the show we see some use of puppets. The lighting on stage was planned in a skilful way that the audience couldn’t see the cast controlling the puppets. The scene where Nimshi Kongolo (the sorcerer) tells Philippa O’Hara (Gunda) about Marith’s true history was particularly clever – it left my 12-year-old daughter’s mouth hanging open which was lovely to see as we live in times where not much on stage can hugely impress kids anymore. Big shout out to Iris Schmid and Emily Essery as Puppeteers in this production.
And a review wouldn’t truly be complete unless we mention the incredibly special and funny Christina Nelson as Miss Fumble. We had some laugh aloud moments during the school scene when Gunda and her friends cause some hilarious chaos.
The creative team includes Charles Way (Writer), Paul Bosco McEneaney (Director), and Helen Foan (Puppetry Designer and Director), with music produced by Score Draw, songs composed by Fiona O’Kane, and a score by Fiona O’Kane and Neve Hutchinson. The technical and production team includes Bethany Tays (Audio Engineer), Ross McDade (Production Manager), Amy Smyth (Stage Manager), and Declan King (On Stage Technician).
The production designed by Diana Ennis (Set and Costume Design) and David Morgan (Prop and Set Design) was dazzling and, together with Guy Barrett’s illusion design and Simon Bond’s lighting design, created excellent instances that felt like true magic.
Rating: 5/5.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is showing at the Buxton Opera House until the 5th of June. The running time is 140 minutes including an interval and recommended ages are six and above. Tickets start from £15 and can be purchased from https://buxtonoperahouse.org.uk/events/the-sorcerers-apprentice-2026/#dates-and-times
Don’t miss this lovely production – it’s a fabulous evening out for anyone who enjoys theatre.