A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood… these words are well known to anyone who has had child in the last twenty or so years, in fact I would place a bet that the majority could recite the whole Julia Donaldson book almost word for word! And that is exactly what happened yesterday at Nottingham Theatre Royal, whilst this show is, quite rightly, aimed at children, it was the older voices that could be heard shouting out the lines.
It all started with a comical intro to the mouse, the light banter was enjoyed by young and old alike. This Tall Stories’ musical adaptation had a cast of just three, however this did not detract from the show in any way. Personally I felt the use of just three cast members helped the little ones use their imaginations and actually captivated them more, my little one excitedly guessing which one would play the gruffalo and then being delighted when she was right.
Some very silly dad jokes, which may have been lost on the younger ones, went down quite well with the grown ups, well there were equal measure of chuckles and groans.
The simple choreography and original songs grabbed the little eyes and ears attention from beginning to end. The pantomimesque interaction with the audience encouraged kids to be involved and make lots of noise, which of course they all loved.
You still have a chance to catch The Gruffalo at Nottingham Theatre Royal – it is showing until 11 May 2022 – get your tickets here.
For more information on Tall Stories productions please visit www.tallstories.org.uk
Review by Josie Opal
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