Clown -Travelling Light

Following the stunning success that was Cloudland, and despite the slight disappointment of Too Many Cooks, one cannot help but be exceptionally excited at the prospect of a new adaptation by Travelling Light. And whilst Clown does not quite achieve the sublime magnificence of Cloudland, it is still a wonderful and gripping introduction to imaginative theatre for young children.
Based on Quentin Blake's book, this is the story of Clown, thrown in the dustbin by an overzealous mother and setting off across the harsh and noisy city to find a new life and a new home. As with Cloudland, the inventive use of both puppet and actor to depict Clown allows a flexibility and versatility to the storytelling which would be unachievable if he were confined to one medium or the other. The use of only three other actors to present the various characters whom Clown encounters, and the graphic, almost ostentatious way in which those actors transform themselves into each character before the eyes of an enraptured audience offer a wonderful introduction to the whole concept of theatre, role-playing and the willing suspension of disbelief for the under-6s at whom the show is aimed.
But that's the grown-up rationalisation. As a parent and theatre critic, I love Travelling Light and their productions because they are clever, inventive and show clearly that someone has through very hard about how to make theatre work for small children: not only to engage them totally for an hour in a the dark, but to help them take the first steps on a path which will hopefully lead them to a lifelong love of the stage. On the other hand my daughters aged 2 and 4 love Travelling Light simply because its fast, and funny, and lively, and bright. I think it's good for them - they think it's riveting fun. What a perfect combination.

Alice in Wonderland - Bristol Old Vic

Alice in Wonderland is not the easiest story to follow at the best of times. And director Melly Still certainly doesn't make it any easier. In fact, those for whom this is a first introduction to the story will leave the Old Vic totally baffled - for them, the hour and a half in the theatre is simply a jangling trip of imagery and words which makes about as much sense as a hallucination. Which is an interesting way of spending an evening - and quite an enjoyable, judging by my daughter's reaction - but certainly not a good way of introducing your younger family members to one of the stalwarts of the English canon.
Still favours an 'object trouvé' approach to costume and set: everyday items are seized and adapted to lend an impressionistic suggestion of an appearance. At times this works very well: the use of different sized props to show Alice's Drink Me/Eat Me shrinking and growing is most effective. But all too often it presupposes too much existing knowledge on the part of the onlooker. So the Caterpillar is presented simply by encasing an actor in a sleeping bag and equipping him with the obligatory hookah pipe. Now for those of us familiar with the story, this is enough of a hint to enable us to flesh out the remainder of the picture with our mind's eye. But those who do not know the story - and remember that this is the Old Vic's Christmas family show, so there'll be quite a few of those - it remains simply (and incomprehensibly) a man in a sleeping bag.
And that is the principal problem with this production: from the perspective of the actor, the director and the dramaturg, it's very clever and inventive, but little or no thought has been given the needs of the target audience. As a consequence, it sinks far too close to the level of utter self-indulgence: best illustrated by the decision to create a brand-new, totally inappropriate and bizarrely operatic tune for 'Twinkle twinkle little bat', when the simple and obvious approach - using the tune of 'Twinkle twinkle little star', which must surely be out of copyright - would have been both more elegant and more fitting.