Writer: Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Adaptor: NLP Ltd
Choreographer and puppet director: Johnny Austin
Director: Brad Fitt
Musical Director: Miles Russell
The world premiere stage production of Tales from Acorn Woodbrings Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s entrancing characters from the best selling books to life in a glorious, colourful and entertaining production.
Poor old fox has lost his socks! Are they in the kitchen or inside the clock? And rat-a-tat-tat! Who’s that keeping Rabbit awake? Rabbits Nap, Postman Bear, Foxes Socks and Hide and Seek Pig, are the 4 tales from acorn woods brought to life in this production which features songs to dance and clap along with, plenty of participatory moments and imaginative staging.
Julia Donaldson and Axel Schaffler are the multiple awards winning and bestselling children’s book team behind The Gruffalo which has reached world wide sales of nearly 7 million and is available in 26 languages.
The Tales from Acorn Wood series are classics for small children, with “lift the flap” interactivity and themes of friendship, empathy and having fun, all set against the idyllic backdrop of woodlands and in a community of loving friends.
Fans of the books will love seeing their favourite characters brought to life as puppets skillfully manipulated by talented performers James Blake Johnson, Lottie Johnson, Hayley Murray, Arthur Thorpe and Jenny Trapp, who clearly know how to lead a young audience.
The performers multirole with ease, making the intricate handling of the puppets look like child’s play, while voicing numerous characters at the same time and giving flawless vocal performances. They work so perfectly as a company that there is no stand out performance. They all give the stage to the puppets and disappear behind the marionettes perfectly, occasionally stepping out to give the young audience an opportunity to stretch and shake between stories with fun, playful and story based participation.
Motion Graphic Designer Louise Rhoades-Brown has created a stunning, moving story book animated background for the piece, which the puppets interact with in moments of magic, with objects from the animations appearing in their hands.
The children were completely mesmerised by the piece. The pace, changes in plot, participatory moments and use of music and colour, make this a perfect performance for first time or seasoned theatre visitors. There are very few upsets, shuffling bums or need to leaves, as one might expect with an audience so young. They sit through most of the show with joy written all over their faces.
Towards the end a fatigue kicks in for an audience who tires easily, and the production would fall perfectly if it shaved 4 to 5 minutes off the running time. However, at 50 minutes of fun and frolics you will certainly get your money’s worth, and running times for children’s theatre are very challenging.
The size of the venue does not work in favour of the show – it’s hard to engage small children sitting in the dark and distant from the stage. Perhaps smaller venues have the advantage here and are worth seeking out, but the skill of the cast translates the energy through the void enough to keep toes tapping.
A performance well worth a visit for children ages 1 to 5 years or older children who are fans of the book. It will have you singing along and dancing together in no time, a perfect family experience.
Runs until 27th January 2023, before continuing on tour.
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