-
Countdown to Cruella Pt 2 – A Chat With The Cast
Following on from my chat with the director of 101 Dalmatians, Tessa Walker, and puppetry designer Jimmy Grimes, this post is, as promised, a chat with some of the cast who will be bringing Dodie Smith’s much loved classic tale to life at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre next month. Emma Thornett and Oliver Wellington We start with a chat with Emma Thornett and Oliver Wellington, who play Missus and Pongo in the new adaptation. If you are unfamiliar with the book, you may be wondering who Missus is, but, as Emma explained, Missus is actually the mother of the puppies, rather than Perdita. Disney merged Missus and Perdita into one…
-
Running Wild is simply incredible at the Wolverhampton Grand
Michael Morpurgo’s Running Wild opened at the Wolverhampton Grand last night, with a show that truly made you feel like you were in an Indonesian rain forest. Telling the story of Lily, a young girl who just happened to be having a ride on a beach elephant at the point when the Tsunami struck Indonesia on that fateful Boxing Day in 2004, Running Wild is Lily’s story of survival, her quest to try and find her mother, whilst also finding out about the destruction of the rain forest and the animals that live in it. it is a children’s story, but a more hard hitting one you would struggle to…
-
What the Ladybird heard at Birmingham Town Hall
Every year at Christmas, Birmingham Town Hall stages a family show that is based on a children’s classic story. In the past this has seen great adaptations of ‘The Tiger Who Came To Tea’ and ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.’ This year they have turned their attention to Julia Donaldson with a dramatisation of ‘What the Ladybird Heard’. And whilst it is bright and colourful, and generally good fun, I don’t think it has the same appeal as recent productions. The main reason for this is the star of the show, the ladybird. My eight year old Joe said, I think the ladybird should’ve been much bigger, maybe someone…
-
‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ is a joy at Birmingham Town Hall
If you are looking for some fun, family entertainment for the remainder of the Christmas break, or to take you into January with a bang, then look no further than the festive family fare that is currently delighting younger audiences at Birmingham Town Hall. To put it quite simply ‘we’re going on a bear hunt, we’re going to catch a big one, what a beautiful day, we’re not scared…’Although actually, maybe we are, just a little. We’re going on a bear hunt is a children’s classic that celebrated 25 years since publishing in 2014. Written by Michael Rosen and with famous watercolour illustrations by Helen Oxenbury, the story of a…
-
Fun and Laughter from The Three Little pigs in Birmingham
It started with an X Factor style intro, and ended with a good old singalong between the sworn enemies the pigs and the wolf, and it was total fun and laughter in between. I’m talking about the fun new reworking of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ that has been playing at Birmingham Town Hall this week, with a star turn by Birmingham’s own Simon Webbe. We all know the story, but it is fun seeing it bought to life by the an engaging and talented cast. The piggies show their charactors early on, Daniel Buckley is clever and kind, Leanne Jones is concerned with the environment, whilst Taofique Folarin is strong…
