Welcome to Paris.

WITCH Theatre is once again bringing a beloved, but less celebrated, musical to the Wellington stage, an absolute treat for those of us who want to experience high quality musicals from a little off the beaten path. In a way, this perfectly reflects the themes of Amélie itself; there’s a whole world out there, we just need the courage to go out and experience it.

The atmosphere in Hannah Playhouse is absolutely magical as soon as you walk in. There’s a shop set, complete with a photobooth that fans of the movie will be thrilled to see up front. Lights flicker, shadows of audience members finding their seats are cast in your peripheral vision, the orchestra is already warming up. It feels like Paris – or an idealised version of it – and it’s hard not to close your eyes and just soak it all in. Everything just looks so solid in its execution, and given the amount of people involved in its creation, it’s no surprise it nails its purpose.

Nothing is lost from the original production. The cast’s harmonies fill the Playhouse with music, as if it’s coming from everywhere. The orchestra is on fire with gorgeous melodies, and the audience packs the house with a massive helping of enthusiasm. Everything combined makes the 240-seater feel like a 2,000-strong ampitheatre. The lights and projection are perfectly synchronised, mixing grand sweeping spotlights with subtle flickering street lights that only serve to heighten the immersion.

It’s honestly more than that. It’s pure magic when every element of the production fires off at once. The set has so many hidden secrets that are a delight to reveal. It’s like a character in and of itself. My favourite recurring bit is seeing actors jostle, arms raised, as the sound of moving trains play over the shifting lights. It’s perfectly conveys the tone of a bustling Paris metro. I never get tired of it. There are just so many cheeky moments in this show that you can’t help but leave enchanted.

Leading the cast is Rachel McSweeney, the main character of Wellington musical theatre. She’s expertly cast as the titular Amélie Poulain, with her charming attitude and wide-eyed sense of discovery. When she sings, your heart breaks. She has the entire audience bewitched, with a wonderful chemistry brewing between her and Henry Ashby. Ashby is a stunning vocalist whose voice butters every note with a generous helping of sincerity. They have such a calm, composed performance that relaxes the audience and invites them to nestle into their seats and appreciate the sheer cleanliness of their voice.

Playing Amélie’s parents are Craig Beardsworth and Gemma Hoskins who both bring a strong emotional maturity to the show. Hoskins nails the mother hen energy, while Beardsworth portrays a convincingly unprepared parent. What I love about these two is how funny their demeanours are in relation to their daughter. They fill the silences with microexpressions that could be easily missed but do such a good job with making the interactions feel real.

My favourite grouping is the girlies at the café, comprising Ariana Calabrese, Bethany Graf, and Jody McCartney. My favourite song of the whole show is A Better Haircut, which makes full use of the perfect three-part harmonies that this trio knocks out of the park. Jaw, on the floor. Individually, they’re strong, capable singers, but combined, they are absolute magic. Calabrese is such a joy to watch being fed up with the failing suitor behind her, Graf has a wonderful arc of falling in and out of love, and McCartney’s delivery of ‘I was working in the circus’ is going to live rent-free in my head until I die falling off Notre-Dame.

I love that everyone in the ensemble gets to have a moment each to shine and showcase their individual strengths. Frankie Leota feels so beautifully sincere in her desire for Amélie to seek out adventures for herself. Jared Pallesen‘s vocal range is marathon-length and they make full use of it across the various roles they play. Medhi Angot is perfectly hateable as Joseph, and yet incredibly cheeky and charming as the garden gnome. Glenn Horsfall has an absolute banger of an arc as Bretodeau, demonstrating a truly emotional core that pushes you to the brink of tears. Mōnet “Wiljo” Faifai-Collins is such a joyful presence on-stage with a fizzing natural charisma that you can’t help but be drawn in by. Kevin Orlando is a solid mysterious man – present enough to make himself known, but obscure enough that the audience isn’t quite sure if someone they’ve never seen before has just popped up.

My personal favourite of the night is William Duignan who I think has five different costume changes within the first twenty minutes. Like, every time I see him, he’s wearing a whole-ass different outfit. Every character has a super distinct personality and it’s a testament to his acting skills that it would take me a few seconds each time to realise ‘oh wait, that’s that same guy!’ His strong vocal performances ensure that he’s always a joy to watch on-stage and most importantly, he looks like he’s truly enjoying himself up there. Not that the others aren’t, but Duignan just oozes pure happiness at all stages, even when in the background.

Directors Nick Lerew & Maya Handa Naff have done such a great job with this adaptation of Amélie. It’s an authentic representation of the music while showcasing strong local talent, both on and off-stage. As for the play itself, it’s a fantastic story of discovery, and finding the courage to do it. And yes, it’s good, great even! But it wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t. WITCH Theatre has a habit of identifying great theatre that might not have got a chance here otherwise, and they haven’t missed here.

Amélie is a gold-standard show in an intimate space that makes you feel like you’ve been transported to (a good version of) Paris. There’s magic in every nook and cranny of this arrondissement and a cast that’s singing its heart out to the crowd. It’s the kind of hot chocolate for your soul that’s perfect to get you out of winter hibernation and spring you into a new season of live Wellington theatre. There’s a whole world out here to experience, and it’s impossible to tell what it could bring.

But whatever happens, here we go.

Disclosure: As a somewhat active member of the Wellington performing arts community, I may be quite familiar with a number of the performers in this show. Having said that, I am not a liar, and there is zero bias in my reviews, shut up.

Also, tickets were provided to me for free by the production. Literally changes nothing, though.