A first attempt at children’s theatre by a new company that struggles to fully land with its intended audience.Summary
Rating
OK!
Mini Moon Theatre is a new company of recent graduates making theatre for children and families for the first time, with evident passion. In a recent short interview with ET, they express a real desire to engage with this genre — a welcome move, as many artists overlook the joy and value of creating work for young audiences. Mini Moon states they aim to facilitate conversations about emotions between children and adults. Brilliant.
To Mars is a 3-hander aimed at ages 6+, running for 45 minutes. It centres on 11-year-old Maddy (Erin Nash), who is upset after her application to be an astronaut is rejected for being “just a kid”. She decides to journey to Mars to prove herself, taking her brother Jack (Lexi Quintana) along, although she may regret this. On Mars, they meet a real-life Martian named Zom (Will Harrison), and their adventure becomes more complicated than expected.
While the story will appeal to a certain degree to children and families, the production suffers from issues in presentation, direction and dramaturgy. It feels like an early-stage work-in-progress, lacking mentoring by someone experienced in making theatre for young audiences to guide them in the choices being made.
The portrayal of the children leans on clichés – pigeon-toed stances, fart jokes, ‘pinky promises’, and endless bickering. This doesn’t reflect the thoughtful, articulate, and nuanced way real children – especially those in Year 6 like Maddy – express themselves. They are capable of playful yet deeply insightful conversation. Maddy could be an inspiring role model of ambition, but she’s reduced to conforming to expectations by the end, returning home to please her father rather than standing by her dreams. This begs the question as to whether the creators consulted with, or observed, real children during development.
Staging choices add to the confusion. Frequent scene changes and exits behind curtains feel unnecessary and interrupt the flow. One brief moment involving puppetry to show the journey to Mars offers a glimpse of imaginative, theatrical potential – an approach rooted in play and creativity would have been more effective throughout. Was this also supposed to be a semi-improvised script delivery style with ad-libs? It was often hard to hear what the company were actually saying – a good voice coach to help unpack text delivery, emphasis, and support breaths would be helpful.
Zom’s elaborate costume and makeup are visually striking but not matched by character depth. Similarly, the use of a store-bought bubble machine undermines the aesthetic. Offstage voices, such as the father’s and a random awards announcer, weaken any dramatic tension and feel disconnected.
One character with potential is Rusty, a blind robot rover who interacts with Zom. There is something tender and promising in this relationship, but it isn’t developed enough to land with impact – another missed opportunity. Despite its flaws, it’s worth acknowledging the ambition behind To Mars. Its inclusion in the Camden Fringe is encouraging, and it’s refreshing to see family-focused theatre on the programme. With thoughtful revision, mentorship, and a deeper understanding of the young audience they want to reach, Mini Moon Theatre could build on their clear passion and create something much more effective and moving next time.
Read more about this show in our recent interview here.
Writer/Director: Megan Holman
Design (Props, Set, Puppets): Fionnuala O’Gorman
Design (Costume): Johanna Baldurs
Lighting Design: Talia Bunting
Additional Set Design: Livia Gray
To Mars is aimed at ages 6+ and has now completed its short run at The Bridewell.
Future tour dates include performances at the Arches Lane Theatre, Battersea, during September and October.
