THE
GRUFFALO'S CHILD
Tall Stories at the Civic Theatre
Chelmsford
21.04.2016
“Wave at the mouse!” - a reassuring
warm-up before we venture into the deep dark wood with the Gruffalo's
Child, star of Julia Donaldson much-loved sequel.
This hour-long adaptation, with songs
and dances as well as scary adventures, is a lovely introduction to
theatre for the pre-school generation, directed for Tall Stories by
Olivia Jacobs. Much is left to the imagination – the mouse's long,
strong tale, for instance – and the story is framed in a bedtime
comfort zone, with Duncan MacInnes's Gruffalo cuddling his look-alike
daughter, played with child-like charm by Sophie Alice. The Mouse is
strongly characterized by Catriona Mackenzie. MacInnes also gets to
play all the predators – great quick-change fun – the sinuous
snake, the owl in his cardigan, the fox in his sequinned tail-coat.
The songs are catchy in a timeless,
PlaySchool style – Stick With Me [for the Stick Man], I Could Sell
the Sunshine [for the spivvy Fox] and Big Bad Mouse especially
memorable – and there are movements for everyone to join in.
A simple flexible setting [Isla Shaw]
with stylised, friendly trees, a huge paper moon and a shadow mouse
make this charming show visually interesting too.
Plenty of merchandise, of course, but
at least there was a free souvenir programme, with a picture to take
home and colour in ...
