LIT with physicality and engaging verve, The Magic Story Coat on Thursday caught and held the interest of young patrons with it’s irreverent spin on the hallowed fairytale tradition.

Covert glances during the show at my accompanying trio of assistant critics, aged 13, 13 and 9, revealed the heart-warming qualities of rapt focus at onstage antics together with amused half-smiles as Gaul and Hart romped their way through this confection.

Before the play started, the ever agile Hart tried every trick in the trade to awaken the slumbering Gaul, raising ripples of merriment from the young audience in the process. Once awake, Gaul assumed the role of muddled storyteller while Hart donned appropriate gear, including a bushy tail, as Puss in Boots.

But Gaul also stepped blithely into the role of a flatulent toad, relishing moments when older audience members were thrown a bonbon. “Boars? You mean like those people in Canberra?” struck an immediate chord.

Hart deployed an amazing range of facial expressions, an abiding sense of fun and deft guitar agility, while Gaul operated at a zesty level throughout. If she could safely locate a greater subtlety in vocal modulation, such consideration never occurred to young audience members, who hung on every twist and turn in the story’s convolutions.

Post-show comment from a 13 year old included: “I think there should have been three actors”; and “I really liked the Wiggles song.” Whatever, the production proved again the fascination children hold for genuine storytelling, and their innate appreciation for ridiculous circumstances.

In all the euphoria society encourages concerning technology, it’s oddly comforting to realise that deep down we’re all children at heart. You don’t need elaborate sets or sophisticated lighting, either, just fresh acting and a script that explores the world of imagination without a trace of condescension. Fledgling companies such as 1st Gear are successfully mining a vital lodestone.