Original TV series: Andrew Davenport
Writer: Helen Eastman
Director: Will Tuckett
Colourful characters, magical scenery and jaunty music abounds in this live staging of the pre-school children’s television series which was originally written and composed by Teletubbbies co-creator Andrew Davenport and featured narrations by the decorated actor Derek Jacobi. A long standing favourite, it has been on our screens since 2005, and focuses on being asleep, turning dreams into a hazy reality.
All our favourite characters Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka, the Tombliboos, the Pontipines, the Ninky Nonk and the Pinky Ponk take to the stage in the form of puppets and skin character costumes, delighting the very young audience.
In this staged version we meet each character one at a time as they hear a strange noise and go to investigate. The puppets are ably manipulated by a team of talented performers in green, who guide the young audience through the performance with a happy and breezy style.
Much like the TV series, the stage show doesn’t focus heavily on plot, but on the whimsical characters who communicate through actions and sounds. Each character performs their theme song on appearance and the young audience happily joins in.
The highlight is certainly the appearance of the Pinky Ponk as a floating blimp over the audiences head. It’s a shame the company didn’t make more of this moment as the young audience was entranced and it felt rushed away very quickly.
The running time of the piece is one hour, which feels very long for very small children, particulally with no participatory moments to get the wiggles out. Looking across the auditorium at the midpoint, there are snacks, toys and phones appearing as parents and carers struggled to keep children entertained and focused. One can’t help but feel that shaving the running time to 45 minutes would be advantageous, leaving the audience wanting more.
The use of digital set pieces is beautiful and allows a cross over between the TV show and the live show, with recognisable woodland creatures appearing on the curtains between staged movements. The set pieces themselves are simple and cleverly used, allowing for seamless transitions between short scenes.
Fans of the show will love this elegant and laid back live production, it’s a lovely way to fill a morning or afternoon and a lovely way to have a first theatre experience.
Runs until 28th May 2023, before continuing on tour.
