Jessica Harris watches Little Angel Theatre production at the Midlands Arts Centre.
Two elves, Tatty and Pumpkin, are on a quest to deliver children’s letters to Santa at the North Pole. But their mission is thwarted from the start. Which way to go when there are no signs? How to handle the creatures they encounter, some of them furry and benign, some of them less so? And above all, how to deal with each other? Tatty, happy and jolly, is a walking, talking Christmas Cracker joke whilst Pumpkin, convinced that only sense and logic will get you by, has little time for frolics and fun.
The elves’ entrance onto the stage was greeted with delight by the young audience at MAC. Their ears were pointed, their hats were red and woolly, and their movements conveyed mischief. The stage itself was dominated by a set of icicles, tall and jagged, with subtle lighting creating a hue of blue and ice-cold white. Puppetry, effective use of stage blocks and falling snow were used to shape the story.
There is plenty here to make this an excellent Christmas show for families. But this one misses the mark. The central theme, that of different personality types and how we have to learn to get on together, is one that young children are more than able to understand. After all, they interact with each other every day. However, in a show that was dialogue-heavy and its delivery often shouty, there was little emotional depth, and the initial promise of physicality to convey meaning was passed by.
Movement and voices used for the puppeteering were expressive, and the transformation between witch and little old lady was engaging, with excellent costuming and mask work. Whilst the choice of puppets, a squirrel and a penguin at this particular performance, was odd (everyone knows you don’t get penguins – let alone squirrels – at the North Pole), they were child-friendly, if not overly dynamic.
The show’s format relied on the audience helping the elves to make choices about which way to go. Depending on this, plot and puppetry change from one performance to another. However, little was done to create feelings of apprehension or suspense as a consequence of these choices, and the device felt somewhat tokenistic. The engagement of children in this way lacked nuance, involving as it did a lot of shouting between audience and performers in traditional pantomime style.
With its polar setting and floating ice-caps, there was every opportunity to invite children to consider their wider environment. But other than a throw-away line about climate change and some references to the northern lights, the chance to help them reflect and question wasn’t taken up.
As the show reached its end, clever use was made of stage blocks to produce a sleigh. If only a few sleigh bells, a reindeer or two and, who knows, even Santa had appeared, the finale could have brought a little bit of Christmas magic into the theatre.
Finding Santa was written by Sean Taylor and originally directed by Samantha Lane. The associate director was Charlotte Irwin. Lighting was by Sherry Coenen and set, costumes and puppet design was by Allison Alexander. Composers were Will Dollard and Mary Erskine. The cast were Troy Richards and Samantha Yetunde, whilst the puppeteer was Lori Hopkins.
The recommended age is 4+. For further information visit macbirmingham.co.uk
