Andrew Child

Taha Mandviwala helms the cast and aptly carries the narrative opposite Richard Parker, a prowling, lumbering, lunging tiger puppet operated by a team of puppeteers. Puppetry and movement director Finn Caldwell is the genius who has really elevated the show, bringing a delightful cast of animals to life in surprisingly realistic and emotional ways."

The show gets off to a rocky start. The opening number feels disconnected from the rest of the action, and it isn’t until the dialogue begins in the first scene that the audience begins to settle in and enjoy ourselves. That said, you would be hard pressed to name a more solid, feel-good piece of musical theatre from the last decade.

The production is entirely fused with the bluish glow of the cellphones which tether the characters together and, in many ways, the continued relevance of the themes of the piece shine through. Musings on connections and loneliness seem freshly pertinent as Bobbie flicks through voicemails alone in her tiny apartment. The comedy of each scenario is played up to cartoonish highs and Liam Steel’s sharp choreography punctuates the staging perfectly, making the evening a bonafide musical theatre smash. Elliott has concocted dreamy, surrealist imagery that takes us into Bobbie’s imagination and conveys a more emotional story than realism could muster. With sets and costumes by Bunny Christie, audiences are treated to imaginative visuals that supersede the standard LED screens of modern touring shows.