Writer: Julia Donaldson
Adapter: Barb Jungr and Samantha Lane
Music and Lyrics: Barb Jungr
Jigging cow, it’s good! Julia Donaldson’s tale is brought to life using skilled puppetry and catchy songs. The story is set in a small house in which a woman lives ‘all by herself.’ She asks a wise old man for help and he suggests she take in all of her animals. After the chaos of housing a cow, goat, pig and hen; her house does not seem so small once she takes them all out. This hour-long family production promotes gratitude for what one has.
Ruth Calkin brings robust humour to the Old Woman as she grows so desperate to gain room in her ‘ever-shrinking’ house. Chris Dobson leads audience interactions with heart-warming familiarity and flare as the Wise Old Man. And Mark Esaias executes superb puppetry, portraying each animal with purposeful intentionality- the cha cha-ing pig and the dancing cow are particularly comical. The actors seamlessly move around the set, puppets and props changing hands whilst singing in harmony; this trio know how to work as a team.
The set and costumes designed by Kate Bunce, are like that found in the book illustrated by Axel Scheffler. They depict an old country woman living what seems a simple life but as the story unfolds and the chaos increases, the set expands to include ingenious ways of engaging with the puppets designed by Maia Kirkman-Richards; such as, feeding a the pig with a basket on its back and a hen popping out of a teapot. The lighting designed by Sherry Coenen complements the story, as it is set upon a simple backdrop with a few trees, even the youngest audience members notice it as sets the scene and represents changes in weather.
Overall, as recommended for families and children aged three to eight years old, this production could be quicker paced. However, the music added to this adaptation by Barb Jungr includes some heart-warming songs which allows time for the audience to meet each puppet and builds the tension of having a house-full. This makes the end such a breath of fresh air, finally the old woman has space in her house and learns she has all she needs and the audience can join in with the singing and dancing in the finale song.
Runs until 24th August 2025
