CHILDREN’S THEATRE: Di Mannie A VISIT to the Johannesburg Youth Theatre is fast becoming=20 synonymous with holiday entertainment, each production having=20 its own blend of humour and surprise. For The Emperor’s=20 Nightingale, the main room (or theatre) in this romantic old=20 house has been “turned sideways”, using the length of the room=20 to present the grandiose courts of the emperor of China. Bright=20 fabrics, gilded cages and painted bamboo lend authenticity to the=20 set of this Joyce Levinsohn presentation. Darrill Rosen, as the unhappy emperor, is thoroughly believable.=20 His cleverly over-stated facial expressions portray his moods so=20 effectively that a mirror image can be seen reflected on the=20 children’s faces. This emperor is never satisfied. He has beautiful=20 flowers, but demands “more, more, more”; the little ones in the=20 audience desperately hand over imaginary flowers, but they are=20 * ot enough. He demands more robes, but his overflowing=20 cupboards still do not please him. The emperor is a slow learner, and in spite of the fact that the=20 gods punish him by taking away his flowers and robes, the lesson=20 has still not been learned. He asks for music, and his faithful=20 servant Humbling (Chantal Nativel) introduces him to the sweetly=20 singing nightingale. Not content to listen, he captures the bird.=20 Eventually, he realises the error of his ways, due to the efforts of=20 Humbling and the nightingale.=20 Humbling is delightful, and her devotion to the emperor is=20 strongly felt. Her clever movements and lovely voice kept the=20 children’s eyes firmly riveted on her. She worked well alongside=20 the talented little nightingale, played by Abigail Nurock. (The=20 children in the cast alternate performances.) Music is ably provided by Billi-Jean Parker . The older members=20 of the audience were rather amused by the tongue-in-cheek lyrics=20 altered to suit the presentation, such as “Material King”.=20 Considerable effort has been put into the props and costumes.=20 They are bright and realistic. Audience participation is encouraged throughout. The audience is=20 also expected to stand and bow frequently to the emperor, which=20 delighted the children sitting at the front, but might cause=20 difficulty for a larger person in the limited space between the=20 chairs further back. This adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic helps to re- establish values in the minds of children — and provides an hour=20 and a half of relaxation and enjoyment.