Performance Review

Peace on Earth: A Pigeon's Story, Black Lotus Studios, The Hive Kennedy Town

Author/ Being Neighbourly
21 December 2025

“Do you know what I am?” is one of the first lines delivered in the 50-minute Peace on Earth: A Pigeon’s Story written and directed by Davina Cooke of the Treasure Chest Theatre, and a big hint as to the ongoing audience interaction that is a main hallmark of this seasonal play.

There’s ‘snowballs’ scattered across the seats, which we’re asked to chuck ‘SNOWBALL FIGHT!’ and we’re encouraged at intervals to make sounds, strike poses, sing along, get on stage, and at the end, a snow machine is directed downstage shooting out snowflakes to everyone’s delight.

So, what’s it all about? Humankind has gone down the tubes and even the doves prefer preening themselves in shop windows and bullying a poor pigeon than doing what they’re supposed to be doing —spreading peace on Earth.

Writer Cooke harnesses her imagination by using an unlikely protagonist —a pigeon, who’s seen better days— and uses his character to explore the wrongs of bullying, finding one’s light and being a conduit of peace. Its trademark Cooke/Treasure Chest Theatre —to re-surface important messages that might have been forgotten in the messy swamp of busy lives.

The theatre is at The Hive Kennedy Town and the set is as basic as they come: a black-draped U-shaped screen sparkling with blue and white fairy lights, which hides and reveals a surprisingly large cast of characters.

Santa fails to make an appearance (I mean, this is his busy season!), but we do get to meet the Head Elf who commands the stage with a larger physique than you’d imagine (of an elf) and captures eyeballs with his pointy elf ears and glittering gold chain; deer and others.

The Head Elf gives the pigeon a crystal keepsake for confidence. This simple gift is transformative for pigeon, who finally stands up to the two doves, and is strong enough to pass on the crystal to help them.

By the end of this engaging show, course is corrected and there’s a big singalong, which makes one wish there’d been even more of this throughout, because, clearly, the cast and director, who’s there in the front row (not to mention the rest of us), are thoroughly enjoying it all.

The message of the play is ever more poignant given the simplicity of the set and props. It’s a far cry from the acting we are used to seeing on Netflix or the big screen, whose actors assume no audience, and you leave re-set and ready to let some of the bygones in your life be just that. Bring on 2026.

Peace on Earth: A Pigeon’s Story by Treasure Chest Theatre was showing at Black Lotus Studios, The Hive Kennedy Town on Sat & Sun 13 & 14 December, 2025. (www.treasurechesttheatre.com)