BWW Reviews: JUST SO, Tabard Theatre, December 2nd 2010

Kate Finburg

Snow might have been falling outside the Tabard Theatre but inside the audience were transported to the much warmer climes of Africa's Limpopo River, at the Pulling Focus theatre company's production of Stiles and Drewe's musical Just So.

Based on Rudyard Kipling's much-loved children's books The Just So Stories, the musical imagines how the world's species each came to be so unique with the help of a quizzical young Elephant's Child (played with sweet naivety by Lee Greenaway) and a worldly wise Kolokoko Bird (Lisa Baird).

Our hero, the Elephant's Child, embarks on a mission to save the world's animal population from the rising flood water caused by the meddling and crabby crab, Pau Amma, who is intent on bringing destruction to the earth.

Hoping to kill the crab with his polite demeanour, the Elephant's Child meets a motley crew of characters along the way including a saggy skinned Rhino, a scene-stealing singing stove and a Parsee Chef (played with gusto by Thomas Lloyd).

The tales of how the leopard got its spots and suchlike are linked using a story telling Eldest Magician (wisely played by Ian Knauer) and the cast use clever costume tricks to show the evolution of their species.

Pulling Focus have real fun with the musical numbers and the intimate space of the Tabard theatre is used to its full potential with wonderful set design devised by Christopher Hone.

Choreographer Phyllida Crowley-Smith has created some thrilling dances which fill the stage and give the illusion of a much larger cast although at times the action, especially the chase sequences, feel a little clunky over the two levels of the stage.

Kipling devised the Just So stories to tell to his young daughter on their long sea voyages from Southampton to South Africa and it was a labour of love for Stiles and Drewe, who needed several years, rewrites and the help of Cameron Mackintosh to get the musical just right.

Pulling Focus are a company of strong voices who do the material justice, Just So is a great Christmas musical for the family who want to escape the snow for two hours.

'Just So' is at the Tabard until 9th January.