UK Theatre Network

Children’s entertainers are among the most important people in theatre.

Because of them a child may go on to enjoy a lifetime of theatregoing or they may never want to experience it again.

And yet children’s entertainers get little recognition. Many people disregard a 45-minute show for four-year-olds as ‘simple’ and having no substance, and the performer as on the bottom rung of the ladder, not experienced enough to do the ‘serious stuff’. Yet it can be the hardest job in the world to engage little ones for any length of time and great skill is needed to keep them entertained.

As Circo Ridiculoso, Danny Schlesinger is a master of his art. A graduate of Circomedia circus school and Ecole Lassadd in Brussels, where he studied for two years, his work also includes cabaret and workshops and as an actor he was the star of the short Norwegian film Sniffer, which won many awards including the best short film at Cannes 2006.

But as Danny, the Wild Balloon Tamer, his attempts to grow balloons in pots has his young (and not so young) audiences totally enthralled and giggling within seconds – with no words, just a cheeky, expressive face, a few grunts and sighs, a couple of wayward caterpillars and a myriad of butterflies.

It’s a feast of physical and visual tomfoolery which undoubtedly opens the doors to a lifetime of the fantastic world of make-believe – the theatre! And, on a more serious note, shows such as this are cheap to stage and therefore a mainstay for arts centres like Norden Farm, whose grants are being cut.

Danny and his shows can be seen on:

June 11: Holloway Arts Festival, Islington

June 25 Maltings, Farnham

July 17 Barnsley Civic

July 21-23 iTeatri del Mondi International Children’s Festival, Italy

July 30-31 Big Cheese Festival, Caerphilly

August 13 Norwich Puppet Theatre

Guess How Much I Love You is the latest work of David Wood, the UK’s leading dramatist and director of children’s theatre, famous for his plays The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Gingerbread Man, The Witches, and Babe the Sheep Pig.  It is no simple feat to keep the interest of young children for almost an hour but Guess How Much I Love You manages just that. Filled with songs and games Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram’s classic tales are brought to life in this charming production.

Popular characters Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare are introduced by a narrator – Lucy, the new human friend of the pair. The audience is invited to hop along as Lucy and the two hares sing about growing up, picnics near the river, warming up in the cold, and the beautiful colours of the rainbow. We are taken on a magical journey through the four seasons where Lucy and her friends encounter all kinds of animals, a box monster and play hide and seek in the woods. The children remain involved throughout the performance as they help the hares and Lucy chase away the clouds, find all the red, blue and green things on stage, play hide and seek, and pretend to be scary monsters. The set is perfect with a gnarly tree, bushes and a beautiful blue sky (set and costume design by Susie Caulcutt).

This show is great entertainment for a young audience but it also charms the grown ups. Let your youngsters occupy the pit area so they have plenty of room to join in all the games.

For children aged 3 and above.

Saturday 22 May     11 am, 1.30 pm & 3.30 pm

Sunday 23 May        11 am, 1.30 pm & 3.30 pm

See Tickets - 0871 230 1552

The Rose Theatre

24-26 High Street, Kingston

www.rosetheatrekingston.org

Vicky Ireland's adaptation of The Hare and the Tortoise at the Queen's Theatre forms part of the Theatre for Young Minds programme which is run by the Theatre's Education and Outreach Department. The scheme will be taking the production to schools and children's venues around Essex and East London, aiming to introduce young children to live performance.

Members of Cut to the Chase welcomed the audience into the small village, children could sit in the middle to enjoy the action from all sides. I was shown to my seat by Earnest the Tortoise, the unlikely hero, whilst Gussy Spike, the melodic hedgehog sang us a song and the other characters played us in with a guitar and an accordion.  

The evil, fiddle toting Rhoda Skunk informs us, "I'm a business skunk," as she reveals her plans to turn the whole countryside into tarmac, leaving Earnest and his friends homeless in the process. Earnest and Gussy intend to fight Rhoda and Judge Fairweather decides that the matter will be resolved in a race around the town. Harold Bigfeet, the Hare who performs cartwheels and ballet style leaps, will represent the fast team and Earnest, the methodical and thoughtful tortoise, will race for the slow team.

Harold plays many tricks on the honest Ernest including switching road signs, but the audience (eventually) inform Earnest of this.  Suddenly the story takes a twist when aliens appear from another world and abduct the racers, leaving the fate of planet Earth in their hands.

Important issues were touched on, such as the need to slow down our fast paced lives and the danger of roads was nicely included during the Green Cross Code song. All sound effects and musical accompaniment were provided by the ever resourceful cast.

Never work with children and animals?  Well, the animals in this production were extremely well trained and the children were quiet as mice, sometimes too quiet, but judging by the looks of awe on their faces at the singing and dancing characters, they were highly entertained.

The Hare and Tortoise

The Queen’s Theatre Foyer, Billet Lane, Hornchurch RM11 1QT

Tube: Hornchurch

Tickets: £5

Box Office: 01708 443333

Website: www.queens-theatre.co.uk

We’re Going On A Bear Hunt

Theatre Royal, Newcastle        

Direct from its success in the West End this summer, Sally Cookson’s stage adaptation of ‘We’re Going On A Bear Hunt’ by Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen is brought vividly, noisily and colourfully to life on stage at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle.

Rosen wrote the Smarties Book Prize Winner in 1989, inspired by an American summer camp song. The story tells of a family’s intrepid expedition in their quest to find a wild bear. Aimed at children aged 3 and above, the show is a fantastic fifty five minutes of fun and frolics that is a terrific treat for even the tiniest of tots.

The action combines all the things that kids love – the great outdoors, nature and discovery – as the five adventurers, comprising father, son, daughter, baby and dog, onomatopoeically explore grassy fields, flowing rivers, muddy swamps, dark forests, swirling snowstorms and creepy caves.

Not only is the story startlingly simple, it is also exciting, entertaining and educational. The recurring title song, from Benji Bower’s quirky score, is catchy and simple enough for the youngsters to remember and join in with.

Colourful sets and costumes, inspired by Helen Oxenbury’s original illustrations and designed by Katie Sykes, ensure that the children are always visually stimulated, too. The atmosphere and mood is further enhanced by Tony Simpson’s lighting and Jason Barnes’ sound, whilst the performances are delivered with energy and enthusiasm from a cast who are supremely comfortable in the art of entertaining little ones.

Judging from the reaction of the children in the audience, ‘We’re Going On A Bear Hunt’ is the perfect production to ensure that kids become hooked, from the earliest possible age, on the eclectic experience that live theatre offers. And that can, surely, only be commendable.

Steve Burbridge.

Runs at Theatre Royal, Newcastle until Saturday 10 October 2009.

Photo by Bob Workman.