Review: THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL AND OTHER HAPPIER TALES, Bristol Old Vic

Wandering into the Bristol Old Vic this Christmas and you're greeted by a graffitied billboard and three tiers of scaffolding. Indeed, the bleakness is an indicator of the kind of mood that permeates the telling of these tales.

Created last year under Emma Rice's tenure at Shakespeare's Globe The Little Matchgirl and Other Happier Tales arrives in Bristol after a much heralded run in London.

Our central tale is The Little Matchgirl (a puppet, beautifully made by Sarah Wright) and each match she strikes leads us into a new tale told by a troop of storytellers led by Ole Shuteye. The stories are familiar but told with an inventive mix of puppets, physicality and playfulness. It's the kind of storytelling on which director Emma Rice has made her name.

Niall Ashdown as Ole Shuteye has the enviable task of being the ringmaster of this particular circus. He brings an initial sense of silliness to the proceedings and his turn as the fashion-conscious Emperor in one of the night's tales is delightful.

Indeed, it is the telling of The Emperor's New Clothes where the biggest smiles of the evening come from. It mixes all the best parts of Christmas shows together in one big jumble - the children in the audience are delighted at the Emperor's tantalising reveal.

Elsewhere the tales are a mixed bag. Thumbelina never quite achieves a solid narrative and sadly plays significant parts on the stage floor using 10cm high puppets. This leaves most of the stalls stretching and straining to see. Guy Hughes makes a menancing Mole while Katy Owen plays the young girl with sharp observations.

It's a brave decision to go with such sad tales as the central part of this Christmas show. As a result, the show never really feels Christmassy. Rice is aware of this and notes that the sadness that is evident in the tales is 'what we need at Christmas' to remind us to think of others. This is a salient point but the fact this production tours until April rather suggests it's aimed no more at Christmas than any other time.

That said, it remains a show with great heart, inventive storytelling and a wonderful ensemble. I have my doubts if it belongs at Christmas in the main producing house but perhaps it's the perfect antidote to a saccharine Christmas. Being reminded of others less fortunate than yourself is no bad thing, especially as the collection buckets for a local charity fill to the brim as you leave.

The Little Matchgirl and Other Happier Tales at Bristol Old Vic until 14 January, 2018

Photo credit: Steve Tanner