Review: The Flight of Babushka Baboon, Puppet Theatre Barge

When the British spring chills you to the bone, what better place to go than to the heat of the jungle? You can escape there just now via the Puppet Theatre Barge, where The Flight of Babushka Baboon takes us to exotic lands without ever leaving the wonderful waters of Little Venice. This is a simple tale, elevated by the quality of the performance and production.

The story begins as Babushka Baboon decides to visit the moon and sets about trying to fly there. Legend tells of an old elephant in a far off grove who can create a balloon from the tip of his nose, so Babushka says goodbye to family and friends and sets off on a journey to find him and achieve her dream. But when danger approaches she needs to quickly decide if she will stay to help others or pursue her own quest.

Henry Marshall’s crafted verse tells the tale, breathing a steady rhythm into the performance to give it a measured pace and a magical sense of timelessness. An evocative musical soundtrack lends an enchanting dreamlike quality to the fantastical story, whilst the simply gorgeous lighting design evokes rich atmospheres and environments, adding drama to the adventure as it shifts across landscapes.

Three talented puppeteers bring a selection of beautifully constructed marionettes to life, capturing the traits of the animals perfectly and bestowing them with delightful characters. The children in the audience were particularly taken by the antics of a playful baby baboon, who wiggles his bum as he cheekily explores the balloon basket Babushka and the weaver birds create together.

Some of the young audience members gave us a rendition of ‘Defying Gravity’ before the show started, which then seemed highly appropriate as the long stringed marionettes negotiated gravity themselves, demonstrating convincing weight and substance. This includes a breathtaking sequence of puppet acrobatics: it’s honestly hard to fathom how such complex, choreographed movement like this can be achieved with so many strings in action at once!

The show is only an hour long and the story is straightforward and easy to follow. The section where Babushka first embarks on her journey is rendered through shadow puppetry, without the appealing marionettes present. There’s no narration here, and it’s a sequence that lasts a reasonable amount of time; unfortunately, a few of the younger kids did seem to get a bit distracted at this point. However, after a short interval, the second half of the show once again gripped their attention as Babushka had to quickly decide what action to take, and by the end the entire audience was captivated once again.

This is a beautiful production for adults and children alike, executed with skill and enormous attention to detail. Indeed, the whole Barge experience is a brilliant opportunity to immerse yourself in uniquely engaging storytelling at the most warm and welcoming of venues.

Written by Henry Marshall

The Flight of Babushka Baboon is recommended for ages 4-10 and plays at the Puppet Theatre Barge until Sunday 30 March.