UK Theatre Network

Perhaps I have just not quite grown up yet, but whenever I see the many and fabulously varied offerings from the Birmingham Stage Company, I get a little shiver down my spine.

Based on an original story by Michael Morpurgo, Stuart Patterson has created a fantastic adventure suitable for children large and small which transports us from the hard working life of Britain, to a fantasy of a round the world sailing trip and desert islands. Cleverly, this story also manages to incorporate ideas of ethics, friendship, race and the human spirit - and in all in just over an hour and a half.

The ensemble cast work very well together, with stand-out performances from David Eaton as teenager Michael and Ozzie Yue as the mysterious Kensuke, friend to more than a couple of mischevious apes, played very convincingly by Daniel Pape and Lois Norman. Also, Christina Denham should be mentioned for being a brilliant Stella Artois - that's a dog, by the way, not a pint of lager.

The audience was almost entirely under the age of twelve, but this did not detract from the magic on stage, and I found myself fully engaged with the youngsters, laughing and sighing in equal measure. Although, at times, the reactions seemed more panto than play, I would definitely recommend this show to anyone young at heart. Catch it quickly before Kensuke's Kingdom fades away into the sea from whence it came!

'Kensuke's Kingdom' runs until January 27, 2007 at the UCL Bloomsbury Theatre near Euston. Box office: 0207-388-822

Check out www.birminghamstage.net for more details of the company's work and forthcoming productions