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Don’t paws for a second – this hilarious family puppet show is just ‘tutu’ good to be missed!Summary
Rating
Excellent
Attention now audience – it’s time for Miss Polly’s ballet class, so do sit up and get ready!
It’s a good ten years since Dogs Don’t Do Ballet first came to the stage, and it’s easy to see why this show has become an absolute classic, returning repeatedly. It’s a must-see comedy ideal for family audiences, but aimed at ages 3-8. Based on the book by Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie, this production is charmingly cheerful, fabulously funny and gorgeously true to the aesthetic of the original work.
Miss Polly sweeps in with a jolly welcome, chatting along with the children in the audience. She’s played with wonderful old-school flamboyancy by the fabulous Ronnie le Drew dressed in a crimson wrap and matching hat. He ensures every small voice is acknowledged as they comment on the action, good-humouredly embracing all their contributions. Our buoyant ballet teacher is helped out by the wonderful Margery (Andrea Sadler). She creates laughter in an instant by disruptively swapping the class sign for a jumble sale one and bringing in toys instead of pupils, which the audience delight in spotting, shouting out whenever they appear. Within moments it’s clear we’re in safe hands: the duo of le Drew and Sadler are confident, sparkling storytellers, who make the quirkily surreal story gloriously entertaining. From the off, the sound of a child uncontrollably chuckling was clearly heard, and this happily persisted throughout the entire show, infecting the rest of the audience with joy until we were all laughing along enthusiastically.
We quickly learn that Miss Polly’s star pupil, Anna, has a dog called Biff who just loves ballet. But when he tries to come along to class her dad won’t let him, insisting ‘Dogs don’t do ballet!’ The tale follows Biff’s efforts to embrace his passion for dance, going through some tough times, but culminating in a triumph.
This is a truly hilarious production that will leave your face aching with laughing. There’s superb silliness and a touch of slapstick, which the children love, and for the adults there’s a nostalgic taste of Music Hall – even a nod to Charlie Chaplin’s classic bread roll dance.
Accompanied by cheerfully expressive music, the puppets really bring the story to life. Keith Frederick’s multiple, crafted designs range from utterly adorable in the case of Biff the pug with personality, to the breathtakingly beautiful Volga Rinkitink, prima ballerina. With a dazzling bejewelled dress that glints under precision atmospheric lighting, and in the skilful hands of le Drew and Sadler, she elegantly captures the thrill and attraction of the dance. Meanwhile, Biff himself is joyfully playful, full of character, friendship and enthusiasm, and his pirouettes have the audience gasping in delight!
There’s also a lot of fun to be had within Tim Sykes’ clever, flexible set design, which is beautifully considered and creates a wonderful space that invites imagination and innovative storytelling. At times it morphs, offering simple but funny peekaboo moments through frames, but eventually evolves impressively into a gorgeously theatrical stage for Biff’s triumphant finale.Dogs Don’t Do Ballet is a fabulously funny, polished production, with an amazing cast, beautiful puppetry, music and design, and laughs from start to finish. It is at once delightfully OTT and yet invitingly understated, with its wonderful message of self-belief, owning your own identity and embracing what you enjoy, never being lecturing or wearing. This show really is ‘tutu’ good to be true – a brilliantly fun first trip to the theatre for both children and their adults. So don’t ‘paws’ for a second – get along to Little Angel because you’d be barking to miss it!
Adapted by David Duffy and Andrea Sadler
Directed by David Duffy
Puppet Design by Keith Frederick
Set Design by Tim Sykes
Sound Designed and Recorded by Reuben Cornell
Piano by Alex Carter
Dogs Don’t Do Ballet is aimed at ages 3-8 and runs at Little Angel Theatre until Saturday 16 November. Further information and booking details can be found here.
