Thursday, April 13, 2017
Peacock theatre, LondonThe young dancers perform beautifully, and there's no denying the magic of the story, but ENB's show could do with less chat and a bit more sparkleIt's seven o'clock. …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:12AM[SHARE]Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Polka theatre, London It may take more than a sprinkle of fairy dust to repair the relationship in Toby Hulse's new play, which is inspired by the enchanted comedyBefore the show, I ask Qeiv…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:48AM[SHARE]Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Unicorn theatre, LondonA talented team throw everything from shadow puppetry to live fire at the well-loved tale, but it's hard to make out the storyWith shadow puppetry, singing, dancing, s…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:54AM[SHARE]Thursday, December 8, 2016
Polka, LondonThis Dick King-Smith adaptation is a bit unsteady on its trotters but its merriment has some of the audience bouncing in their seats"Why do those sheep look like people?" asks m…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:18AM[SHARE]Friday, September 23, 2016
Little Angel theatre, LondonDan Rebellato's play, which follows a 10-year-old facing the world when her parents split up, is beautiful, sad and full of clever touchesEmily Rising is a play a…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:27AM[SHARE]Monday, July 25, 2016
With Bernstein's complex score, Sondheim's witty lyrics and Robbins's exuberant dance sequences, this show is near perfectWhen asked to defend musical theatre " and this happens annoyingly o…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:39AM[SHARE]Monday, June 27, 2016
Polka theatre, LondonThis children's show is boosted by a beautiful set design and imaginatively realised creatures, including a couple of sock-snailsI'm no expert in woodland creatures and …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:25AM[SHARE]Thursday, June 23, 2016
There's a one-man play inside every politician " and a one-woman play behind each male leader. Linda Griffiths's and Paul Thompson's solo show, Maggie and Pierre, explores Maggie Trudeau's s…
SOURCE: The Arts Desk at 04:51AM[SHARE]Sunday, June 12, 2016
Storage spaces units are not a nice place to hang out. Chilly and quiet, vaguely depressing and horribly lit, they bring on a desire to leave almost immediately. The same impulse is palpable…
SOURCE: The Arts Desk at 03:56AM[SHARE]Thursday, June 9, 2016
Lyric Hammersmith, LondonThere's not much story to speak of, but this play based on Emily Hughes's picturebook offers the young crowd the chance to get their hands dirtyMy theatre companion …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:52AM[SHARE]Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Running Wild is a theatrical safari with no expenses spared. This latest stage adaptation of a novel by Michael Morpurgo (of War Horse fame) boasts a jungle-full of puppets - a majestic elep…
SOURCE: The Arts Desk at 05:25AM[SHARE]Thursday, February 18, 2016
From Going Solo's deserts, through the Fantastical forests of Mr Fox to Matilda's magic library, this walk through the author's worlds comes to life with a stutterBefore we enter The Wonderc…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:26AM[SHARE]Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Unicorn, LondonFrom tubs of mud to two bees performing a wiggly nectar dance, this is an informative but oddly paced introduction to insects and vegetationThe air smells of soil and a sparkl…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:07AM[SHARE]Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Little Angel theatre, LondonLizzie Wort's sparkling one-woman show floods the stage with colour and a thousand magical flourishesIt's two-and-a-half-year-old Emelie's first trip to the theat…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:58AM[SHARE]Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Discover Children's Story Centre, LondonNick Butterworth's picture book After the Storm is brought to the stage in a comforting production with some precious momentsBefore Percy the Park Kee…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:43AM[SHARE]Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Polka theatre, LondonAdapted from Raymond Briggs's picture book, this enchanting production is everything children's theatre should beAt one point during The Bear, my goddaughter Blue turns …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:51AM[SHARE]Friday, August 7, 2015
Palace theatre, LondonThis musical version of the classic tale, with Blue's Simon Webbe as the big bad wolf, has sizzling moments but fails to bring the house down This is the first family s…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:50AM[SHARE]Wednesday, August 5, 2015
St Paul's Church, Covent Garden, LondonAn exquisitely designed adaptation of the children's classic that captivates from start to finishForget the golden-hued, heart-warming Disney version o…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:22AM[SHARE]Friday, July 31, 2015
Garrick theatre, LondonBawdy slapstick has pacing problems but is smartly enlivened by a brilliant comic double act's naughtinessAt the beginning of Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain Part Th…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:16AM[SHARE]Friday, July 17, 2015
Leicester Square theatre, LondonAlthough a little overlong, these Julia Donaldson stories burst on to the stage in a riot of gleefully unsophisticated energy Related: Unfolding drama: how Ju…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:03AM[SHARE]Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Puppet Theatre Barge, LondonThe marionettes in this floating puppet show are beautiful and skilfully used, but the story is aimless and the young audience is not on boardMy young theatre com…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:16AM[SHARE]Monday, May 25, 2015
Why does so much contemporary theatre stereotype working women as sharp-suited, work-addicted ball-busters with no love life or softer side?
SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:58PM[SHARE]Friday, April 3, 2015
Little Angel, LondonThis interactive show for young children features a charming yet sparse set, a cornucopia of fruit and a parade of funny animalsMy goddaughter, Blue, is refusing to budge…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:32AM[SHARE]Monday, February 16, 2015
Southbank Centre, LondonThe actors give it all they've got, but with a fractured script and confusing interaction, this performance can't live up to its potentialGiant playing cards dangle f…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:00PM[SHARE]Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Unicorn theatre, LondonThis absorbing tale about a pair of ursine explorers brings a meditative calm to the young audienceThe last time I took four-and-a-half-year-old Barney to the theatre,…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:28AM[SHARE]Thursday, December 11, 2014
Adult themes may be the company's natural preserve, but The Possible Impossible House, created for children, works wonders with cardboardThe theatre company Forced Entertainment are about to…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:00AM[SHARE]Friday, December 5, 2014
A chalky-faced man stands in the shadows and his limbs jolt about, as if battling for position beneath his skin. This is the ghost of Hamlet's father and he is a fearful sight in ACS Random'…
SOURCE: The Arts Desk at 04:05AM[SHARE]Friday, November 28, 2014
Russian prisoner Gavriil is telling his psychiatrist a story about a strange and frightening dragon who demands a female sacrifice from the local townsfolk every year. When Gavriil gets to t…
SOURCE: The Arts Desk at 07:11PM[SHARE]Friday, November 7, 2014
There's no denying that this one-woman show, starring Tricia Kelly, is mightily ambitious. Written by East German playwright Manfred Karge and rarely revived, Man to Man depicts a German wid…
SOURCE: The Arts Desk at 07:00PM[SHARE]Friday, October 31, 2014
Barbican, LondonMelanie Florschütz is a magnetically expressive performer in this excellent German mime show about a raggedy rabbit Continue reading...
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:26AM[SHARE]Thursday, September 25, 2014
Little Angel theatre, LondonAn initially flat musical version of the Roald Dahl story becomes spellbinding once the puppets begin to interact with the audience Continue reading...
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:29AM[SHARE] 
