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Reviews {KIDS}
MR BENN Suddenly, a great show appeared . . . ●●●●●
It’s 40 years since David McKee first turned his series of picture books into a TV series. In an instant, shop dressing rooms became the doorway to potential adventure, where anything could happen. For an entire generation, Mr Benn signified the potential for change – where the ordinary could become extraordinary. Which is exactly the angle Tall Stories has gone for with its new production. Receiving an invitation to a fancy dress party through the post, Mr Benn claims ‘I don’t go to parties’ and throws it away. Fifty minutes later, having gone through the portal at ‘Fancy That’, the local costume emporium, he’s ready to change the world. Who knew that dressing up could have such a powerful effect? Well, children, of course – which is why this timeless character is now appealing to a whole new generation.
Tall Stories has taken two of McKee’s original tales – The Cook and The Frogman – and breathed new life into them. Finding himself in the palace of a picky princess who won’t eat, Mr Benn solves the problem of why (she’s lonely) and leaves her happily scoffing a banquet. He then descends to the sea bed and helps an Elvis Presley-style monster outwit a tenacious photographer. A whistle-stop tour of The Red Knight, The Cowboy, The Wizard and The Spaceman follow, until it’s time to go back to Festive Road.
While the company has undoubtedly stayed true to
McKee’s stories, they’ve also added layers of innovative theatricality. The set is pushed and pulled into all manner of new locations, catchy songs abound and, as with all Tall Stories productions, the talented cast leaps effortlessly from one clearly defined character to another. (Kelly Apter) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 18 Aug, 11.30am, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50).
THE CHRONICLES OF BITTER AND TWISTED Charming and cheeky fairytale sequel ●●●●●
COMEDY CLUB 4 KIDS Heckle-happy crowd nearly stump the pros ●●●●● THE JUST SO STORIES Colourful and engaging adaptation of Kipling’s well known tales ●●●●●
A sequel to the classic outsider tale, these chronicles are best suited to the suggested 7+ age range – those younger are likely to find the matters at hand (bullying and exclusion) upsetting, and the concurrent threads of the story hard to follow. The action is set around an urban pond, where
two lonely bird-watchers bond over shared observation of similarly awkward avian characters: the familiar Ugly Duckling – now a cranky, reclusive ‘celebrity’ of the bird pond and nicknamed ‘Twisted’ – and ‘the one that went the other way’ – a Bitter Duck who’s grown up among cruel, proud swans.
There’s some charming, if at times clunky, puppet work, and a cute set whose manipulation presents some teething problems. While the plot fits into a predictable fairytale mould, it’s told with a dose of cheeky attitude and plenty of contemporary references to appeal to kids and adults alike. Among many character-driven funnies emerges a
sweet but slightly garbled message about being different from the crowd, and friendships are forged in the human and bird worlds alike. (Laura Ennor) ■ Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 29 Aug (not 15), 11.50am, £7–£8 (£6–£7).
It’s perceived wisdom that kids are a tough crowd. No matter how naturally witty you are, getting a child to laugh is often a triumph of hard-nosed perseverance. But who knew nippers could deliver the most savage of heckles, here displaying the kind of withering backchat that would have Brendon Burns running to his mammy. ‘DIE!!’ was a frequent demand from one 11-year-old towards compere Tiernan Douieb and closing act Tim FitzHigham. By the finale, the lad’s sister had joined in and, for all FitzHigham’s unhinged jollity, he was the seasoned comic who came closest to fulfilling their wishes. Douieb is an amiable host who clearly knows his crowd, while still chipping in the odd reference for the adults, and the gangly Eric Lampaert made hay with some surrealist banter. There is already a child- like quality to the adult stand-up of Douieb, FitzHigham and Lampaert but what I’d love to see here is Jim Jefferies headlining, Jerry Sadowitz doing some magic and Doug Stanhope at the door. Is there a bairn alive brave enough to heckle that lot? (Brian Donaldson) ■ The Bongo Club, 557 2827, until 28 Aug, 5.30pm, £8–£10 (£6–£7.50).
F E S T I V A L
There’s no cosier venue at the Pleasance Courtyard than The Green, the huge inflated igloo that’s home to many of its shows for children this year. In The Just So Stories, kids and grown-ups are
invited to dive into the Snuggle Pit, an enticing fluffy mass of colourful floor cushions and cuddly toys. It’s the perfect vantage point for Red Table Theatre’s engaging adaptation of four tales from Rudyard Kipling’s much-loved collection of stories.
Using old-fashioned suitcases, parasols and
mesmerising swathes of fabric, the agile performers create a rich and varied landscape that’s a delight to behold. In addition to skilful acting, there’s some beautifully melodic singing that rounds off each tale.
But the antiquated language doesn’t grab
everyone’s attention, and some young minds start to wander after the first tale. The company suggests the show is suitable for ages 4+ but 6 might be a better baseline, though even the youngest audience members are still charmed by the kaleidoscope of images the performers create. (Yasmin Sulaiman) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug (not 10, 22) 12.30pm and 2.45pm, £9 (£7).
11–18 Aug 2011 THE LIST 63