John "the Walrus" Crick, a bristly, salty sea dog, captivates his audience from the very start with his haunting introduction, taking us back in time with a mixture of song and spoken word.

We are transported to different parts of our coast as he becomes many real characters from our past along the way, including a runaway who sailed here when he was nine, early Maori encounters and a boat that sailed itself.

The Enchanted Coast explored in his stories are from our very own region; from Farewell Spit down to D'Urville Island.

The performance was very much in the style of the old story-tellers where history is passed on through song, verse and echo (and the audience got involved with this one) and flashes of quirky humour.

The transitions to each new character were aided by subtle lighting, a song to sweep us across the map to a new location, and the occasional changing of hats. His beautiful, mellifluous voice ebbed and flowed like the sea, and we were pulled along with him as he brought to life the spirit of each of his characters.

This was a real treat for our first night at the Fringe. John has certainly enhanced my appreciation for this wonderful region I now call my home.

Reviewed almost 8 years ago