Stick Man – The Lowry, Salford

Writer: Julia Donaldson

Adapter: Scamp Theatre

Director: Sally Cookson

Reviewer: Jay Nuttall

Theatre companies and producers must jump for joy upon learning they have acquired the theatrical rights to a popular children’s bedtime book. With companies like Tall Stories eternally producing favourites like The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom, big business can be made from small picture books. Scamp Theatre have toured Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s Stick Man for a few years and with the ever-renewing audience they once again sell out their staging of this extremely popular simple tale.

Living in his family tree with Stick Lady Love and his stick children three, Stick Man has the ideal life … for a stick. But his tranquil life changes one morning while out for a jog resulting in a journey through the seasons in order to find his way back home again. Encounters with a dog, a girl, the river, a swan, a beach, the snow and even the fire take him further and further away from home and his family tree. Until, his final encounter with the jolly old man in red means he might just make it home in time for Christmas.

Performed by just three actors there is a satisfying economy to the production. A simple design concept by Katie Sykes complements the deft direction by Sally Cookson. The journey Stick Man finds himself on as we accompany him under the sea, on the beach and finally into Santa’s sleigh is told effectively with simple props and costume. Like with any picture book our imagination is also needed in order to complete the scene.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of cast list at the theatre or on the theatre company’s website I am unable to name the actors involved in this particular touring production that ends up with a Christmas residency at The Leicester Square Theatre in London. Stick Man and his Lady Love are accompanied with live percussion from an actor-musician and all three actors expend enormous energy to cover everything required. The charm of this show is its tongue-in-cheek nature as the actors occasionally fall in and out of character to reference the ridiculousness of their antics. When adapting a short children’s picture book into a show any creators must always face the challenge of how to stretch out the story into a reasonable playing time. Stick Man employs charming music and song throughout as we venture with our little brown friend. However, all too occasionally the production employs familiar pantomime-esque routines that felt more like a convenient way to kill a few minutes in a story that is already stick thin.

Who’d have thought so much empathy could be felt for a stick when we see his stick family pining (pardon the pun) for his return in the family tree? For those with small children who read this as a family favourite you would be barking to miss!

Reviewed on 30 September 2017 | Image: Contributed

Reviewed on 30^th September