At Christmas time you’re spoilt for choice by big shows, pantomimes, and family shows with the pressure to give your child the best and most joyful experiences. The Owl Who Came for Christmas can only be described as magical, festive and fun, truly bound to fill yourself and young children with laughter and delight. This new production is based on the children’s book of the same title by John Hay and Garry Parsons, following Rosie the Owl as she unexpectedly finds herself taken away from her Christmas tree forest into the warm home of a very surprised family. It is an extremely well written adaptation by Chandni Mistry with direction by Cara Nolan that is clear and easy to follow for all ages.
The actors were wonderful at catering for young ones by being attentive to the audience as well very animated in their performances. To do this whilst controlling the puppets, playing instruments at times and changing scenery is an impressive feat, evidencing the versatility that these actors have. With this adaptation also comes with some new songs.
It is very easy to miss the mark when you stray from the source material to create something new, however you can throw those concerns away! The songs written by Jude Taylor and Chandni Mistry are upbeat, interactive and wildly entertaining! “We say tweet, you say twoo” and boy did the kids (and I’m unashamed to say myself) shout twoo back to our favourite forest animals. 'Welcome to Our Home' was a lovely song that encompassed the warm feelings that this show gives.
Visually the show was stimulating and very aesthetically pleasing with sets by Abby Clarke, that were multipurpose, changing from Christmas trees to the interior of the family home. You could hear the children gasp and mutter as the actors changed the set themselves to take us on a journey through the story. What the show has going for it most is the obvious genuine care it has for the younger theatre goers in their audience. It is an extremely accessible show, with the majority of their performances being relaxed. They in fact provide an information pack to give the audience a breakdown of the show’s sensory experiences, its lighting and set as well as an introduction to the characters and the actors playing them. This promotes a comfortable and less stressful experience to support everyone at the theatre. And after all of this fun, you can even meet the star Rosie the Owl in the grotto to round off your trip to the Curve! They had us all flapping our wings, stamping our feet and wiggling our tails and we suggest you wiggle your way down there to truly enjoy a festive little experience.
The Owl Who Came for Christmas runs at Leicester Curve until 6th January. For more information and tickets, you can follow the link here.
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AD | gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Press Production Photography
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