A riotously imaginative play that dances between the absurd and the profound, leaving you laughing and thinking in equal measure, calls for a review that stretches beyond my usual writing style.

So let’s begin with a confession: I had a truly terrible week. Work drained me, bad news arrived, and I endured that most dreaded modern torment – being endlessly on hold to car insurance. My cup wasn’t just empty. It was bone dry. In Holly Golightly’s words, I had a full-blown dose of ‘The Mean Reds.’ All I wanted was to disappear on the couch. Instead, I found myself driving across town to the Flight Path Theatre to review Lost and Finding – a play whose promo promised ‘A fantastical journey. With puppets, of course.’ All I can say is – thank goodness I went.

I walked in with almost no preparation, and it worked perfectly. This is a show where spoilers will actually ruin the experience. So if you can, trust me: just buy your ticket and sit back for the ride. Packed with a hero’s journey of quests and marvels, it’s a feast for the eyes and the soul, and a chance to revisit your neglected inner child. Let yourself be swept up in this weird and whimsical world, carried along by its chaos, humour, and heart. But if you’re someone who gets anxious without a little orientation, read on.

Written and directed by Emma Van Veen, Lost and Finding is a semi-autobiographical allegory like no other; Cassie Shore, a stand-up comedian and aspiring actress (played by the ridiculously talented Emma Throssell), navigates an all-too-familiar grind: relationship worries, the cost of living, Centrelink, and the pressures of hustle culture. When a strange lizard-like creature steals her precious notebook of jokes (the first of many fantastical creatures), she tumbles down the metaphorical rabbit hole into the realm of ‘Finding of Lost Things’.

We are immediately plunged into a topsy-turvy world where reality bends, twists, and sometimes vanishes altogether. The Flight Path space has never looked so wildly transformed. Equal parts anarchy and metaphorical truth, the set and story are a vivid homage to Jim Henson’s creature shop and the 1986 film Labyrinth. An emporium of imagination brims with tiers of artefacts, twisting tunnels, secret doors, retro TV screens, and a delightful sense of eccentricity. The more you look, the more you uncover, yet a subtle edge of menace reminds you that enchantment and the uncanny often walk hand in hand.

This show dazzles and charms with some extraordinarily inventive puppetry (designed by George Wohlfiel) and very clever stagecraft. From stick and hand puppets to a hilarious Big Bird-like creation, each creature is far from a mere gimmick. Teeming with silliness, oddness and personality, they drive the story through a series of seemingly random but endlessly entertaining encounters as Cassie struggles to find her way home while evading ‘The Beast’ that threatens to consume us all.

It’s not a kids’ show, but it is full of childlike dreams and fancies. And it’s immersive, but you won’t be conscripted into any onstage madness without consent. But by the end, you’ll be so enchanted and wrapped in such a warm, safe hug that you probably wouldn’t mind. To say anything more would rob you of the delight of discovery. 

But I can’t resist mentioning one gem among many: Susan the Snail, with her clever use of shadow puppetry and an irresistibly catchy song that veers a little dark, gently reminds us that life doesn’t always come with a neat ending or a big payoff. Sometimes the arduous journey itself has no reward, so the best you can do is enjoy it along the way.

Lost and Finding invites you to get lost, find delight, and let imagination take over. Theatre like this feels like a lifeline, pulling you back toward joy, surprise, and the possibility of wonder. If it was the medicine I needed , perhaps it could be yours too. So shake off your winter blues (or reds), refill your cup, and let this production do what it does best – remind you that life is magically messy, funny, and worth showing up for.

For details see: https://www.flightpaththeatre.org/whats-on/lost-amp-findings

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