I can’t say how many times we collectively saw Puffs in Melbourne. I remember trips to the Coles across the road – our own proverbial kitchen to the common room of the Alex Theatre – to stock up on snacks as we waited for curtain up on another year at that certain school of magic and magic. It was just one of those things that never got old, never grew tiresome, and only seemed to charm and surprise us more and more as time went on.

I was over the moon when I heard that it was touring to Sydney. Puffs is a play with a message that deserves a worldwide stage. It embodies the heart and soul of that house, of these characters, and I really do challenge anyone to go see it without leaving with a smile on their face.

The words “hero” and “side characters” are thrown around a lot in reference to the character of Wayne Hopkins, but I think he’s a hero in every sense of the word. Passionate, loyal, loving, kind – he endears you the moment he walks onstage and you’re with him wholeheartedly until the very end. Ryan gave 110% to that role every night in Melbourne and nothing’s changed in Sydney. He’s just phenomenal.

He’s joined by Puffs newbies Angelina Thomson and Adam Marks in the roles of Megan and Oliver respectively, who round off this unexpected trio delightfully. There’s so much of that Puffs brand of geekery bubbling just under the surface of Angelina’s Megan. Her threats to the boys in their first meeting are underscored by a flare for drama and clumsy movements that only a Puff would have. And Adam brings new, unconscious charm to Oliver. His love for trigonometry is only matched by his love for Megan and Wayne.

Which brings me to Gareth Isaac as the Narrator. Like any chorus archetype role, it’s a mammoth task, with a bulk of the script and the overall mood of the play falling on his shoulders, but he handles it with such aplomb and effortless charm. One of my favourite scenes is always his speech near the end (“Or maybe it’s the part of you that works hard. The part that stays loyal and true, despite whatever terrifying monsters are thrown your way. The part that plays fair when life is anything but. Maybe that’s a Puff there.”) which embodies the spirit of this play better than anything else. It helps that Gareth is just the loveliest person you will ever meet.

Playing local heartthrob and resident good egg Cedric is another new addition to the cast, James Bryers. He plays the role with such appeal and love, bouncing across the stage with the brightest grin on his face. Where Rob Mills was all charisma, James is the boy next door – and his fate is all the more upsetting because of it. He had an incredibly hilarious and unexpected interaction with an audience member in the second act last night, which won’t be described here for risk of spoilers. You really must see the show yourself for the full hilarity of what James gets up to in the latter half of this play.

Olivia Charalambous is hilarious as Susie, but she’s off the charts as a certain bespectacled wizard – quite possibly having the most fun out of everyone on that stage. I had no clue how Matt Whitty did that when the show was in Melbourne, and I still have no clue how he does it now that it’s in Sydney. Safe to say the biggest laughs of any evening at Puffs are always down to this guy and I am constantly in awe of his immense comedic timing and commitment. Last night’s sex ed scene was something else.

I’ve been following Lauren McKenna’s work since Heathers and it was such a treat to finally catch her as Leanne and Helga and a certain unnamed redhead, as I never got a chance to see her in Melbourne. Kimie Tsukakoshi brings an adorable Susie to the table and her Bippy the house elf, a character specifically designed to be annoying, still had me in stitches. And of course there’s Annabelle Tudor bringing “extra” to a whole new level as Megan’s mother among various others, including the majority of the faculty at the school in one of my favourite sequences of any evening at Puffs.

Let me just say that I got the message from Haxby saying he was going on for J Finch last night on the way to dinner and I haven’t stopped grinning since. Anyone who saw him at the Pop Up Globe would have a rough idea of what to expect from him, although that didn’t prepare me at all for last night.

His J Finch was absolutely perfect and his improv scene had me hiding behind Nadia as I absolutely and completely lost my shit. Of all the roles he could have gone on for, this was the one I wanted to see the most, and it was everything I hoped for and more.

I also want to give a quick shout out to the costume designer, Madeline Bundy. I always saw the show from the back of the stalls when it was in Melbourne and I had no idea how much I missed, which I only noticed from the front row last night. There’s so much detail in each costume, every character is so vivid and lovingly crafted. And Oliver has a Pi pin?? Please.

But really the entire creative team deserves a shout out. Puffs is the little show that could. What started as a fun little production made by a group of friends for a short run at the People’s Improv Theatre has now found its way into the hearts of thousands of people in America and now across Australia. It deserves every success and all the love in the world.

You can catch Puffs in Sydney until this Sunday. It opens in Brisbane on the 23^rd of August, with all preview tickets only $39.90. You can also find out more on their website and even watch the original production which is available to rent or buy!

(Photography by Kurt Sneddon)