Its three strong performers act, mime and sing their way through a range of characters. But they are at their best when they rely on non-verbal body language to express meaning and feelings. In character as children, the world they bring to life is immediately recognisable, as the response from MAC’s young audience made clear.

The things you have to do every morning: get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, go to school. The things that capture a child’s imagination are in there too. Spotting a squirrel on the route, hearing the buzzing of bees, seeing a frog in a pond.

The performers’ characterisation of animals is endearing. The farmyard comes to life as they adopt the posture of pigs and cows. The magic of the zoo is clear in their portrayal of lions and elephants. And there are some nice touches as they shift, with a bit of gentle mocking, into adult roles, from golfers to librarians. Well, adults are very likely rather odd in the eyes of a small child!

But it has to be said, the star of the show is Detective Dog Nell. With her entrance onto the stage, the importance of smell comes into its own. Smelly socks, stinky fish and whiffy farts. The best smell of all is books. Because, as children know, the aroma of books means stories, adventures and fun. But one day, all the books in the school disappear. And Nell’s quest begins.

The puppetry in the piece is fully effective. Nell the puppet is just the right size for young children – big enough to be the centre of attention, but not so big that she frightens. Her legs are articulated, her tail wags and her floppy ears are full of action. Under her handling by the performers, she sniffs and quivers, ready to move in an instant.

The production is enhanced by the use of back projections – flying birds, a rising sun and nuts falling from a tree add to the depth of the piece. The text, all in rhyme, is also projected onto the screen. Together with the frequent signing of speech, this helps with the show’s accessibility.

With a story arc that takes us to some surprising places, its appealing characters and its moments of audience interaction, this is a gem of a show. It makes for a great start to the Easter holidays and a wonderful encouragement to children and parents to borrow books from local libraries.

The show was directed by Peta Maurice. Its performers were Maia Ayling, Amy Murray and Hannah Tudge. Video design was by Christopher Harrisson. BSL Director was Lynn Stewart-Taylor and Access Consultant was Jonny Cotsen.

The Detective Dog was written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Sara Ogilvie. It was adapted and produced by Tiny & Tall Productions, and was commissioned by ARC Stockton and Barnsley Civic.

For further information see macbirmingham and tinyandtall.