BWW Reviews: Children's favorite, THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE Comes To Life In This Endearing Stage Show

Wednesday 7th January 2015, Playhouse, Sydney Opera House

UK Theatre group Tall Stories (THE GRUFFALO, ROOM ON THE BROOM) brings Julia Donaldson's children's story THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE to life in this heart-warming production. As part of Sydney Opera House's "Kids at the House" series, this show delights pre-primary and early primary schoolers and their adults through an engaging blend of story-telling, live music, audience participation and a little learning.

Unlike other stage shows based on books, Tall Stories does not try to simply act out the storybook but Director Toby Mitchell and Creative Producer Olivia Jacobs have taken the refreshing approach of a grown up, reminiscing on when her father used to tell her favourite bedtime story of an adventurous Snail seeing the world on the tail of a Humpback Whale.

In addition to Donaldson's award winning story that explores friendship, courage, adventure and initiative, the production also looks at the bond between father and child, separation, and loneliness as Dad is a sailor, going off to sea. Tall Stories draws on the work of Storybook Soldiers, a British program where military personnel abroad record bedtime stories onto CDs for their children back home. This allows the little girl to hear her father's voice tell the story as she reminisces on when they've played out the story together using various items in her bedroom and their imagination. The show is relatable, from the child not wanting to go to bed, not wanting her father to go to work, and wanting to be big enough to go with him and sail the world together. It handles these harder concepts with maturity, not glossing over them and being patronising as other children's' entertainment can tend to do.

The grown up daughter (Charlotte Mafham) narrates her story, providing sound effects and instrumental on viola and supporting vocals, as Dad (Tim Hibberd) and her younger self (Lucy Grace Norris) act out her memories. Mafham and Norris are a good match physically to show the link between narrator and little girl and both have a good level of energy and understanding of the emotion without overacting as some performances targeted at children can tend to do. Norris displays the cheeky playfulness and imagination of a child whilst being able to demonstrate the sadness and loss a child feels when their loved parent goes away. Hibberd gives a wonderful performance as Dad with a balance of the doting father that plays games and indulges his little girl's fancy whilst being honest about the loneliness he feels whilst off at sea. He doesn't overplay his part, instead remaining relatable and real.

Through retelling the story, Dad and daughter draw on lines from Donaldson's story to create games, dances, songs and even a bit of science that help bring the story to life and get the audience involved. The storytelling is relatable as most children will have created caves from blankets and visualised a simple chair as something more. Dad also throws in some humour geared for the adults keeping them engaged whilst not detracting from the story. The performance flows well with repetition of the song, a sea shanty style reel based on the story, between the events that unfold.

Tall Stories' THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE is a must see for children this summer. Whilst other shows may just provide a nice little story, this has a number of layers to it and is a great way for young minds to explore a range of concepts. It takes a Julia Donaldson's delightful story full of whimsy and poetry and adds to it to make it even better and treats the audience to a solid, genuine performance that utilises the imagination and tugs at heartstrings.

THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE

Kids at the House Sydney Opera House

7th - 17th January 2015

Kidsfest 2015 Hong Kong Hong Kong Performing Arts Centre

21st - 25th January 2015

Kidsfest 2015 Singapore Drama Theatre Singapore

29th January - 1st February 2015

Images: Copyright Axel Scheffler

Photos: Daniel Boud