Review: Ready Steady Go!, Unicorn Theatre

Stuck for something to do with the little ones at half term and don’t want a big mess at home doing crafts? Don’t fancy a two hour West End show? Well worry no more as Ready Steady Go! at Unicorn Theatre offers an excellent, hybrid alternative.

A load of new recruits arrive at The Ready Steady Go! driving school (that’s us!). It’s not the best day to start as there’s been some bad news: the Council is threatening to close them down for being too boring. Something’s going to have to change… Luckily, our young attendees have the opportunity to create some new and colourful vehicles as they undergo their tuition, which will make things bright and different – hopefully saving the day.

From the start this is a refreshingly imaginative production. It’s perhaps more suitable for children at the mid to lower end of the 3-8 recommended age range, but excellent and innovative nonetheless. The entire room is covered in hand-drawn features that create a parking lot, a road and assorted elements found in the school or around town. We’re welcomed by a cheery, upbeat cast – apart perhaps from Robin who’s still to be convinced about making change. But accompanied by live guitar music and some fun physicality that has the children giggling away, we are given instructions for the session.

Each child is allocated a cardboard car to decorate using a variety of colouring tools, and with the help of their carer they’re encouraged to give it a bright, bespoke feel, even adding their name to the registration plate. The adults definitely enjoyed this as much as the little ones! There’s no rush to do it, the activity is accompanied by music, and at regular intervals the families are given pointers as to what to do next, so they’re clear how much time is left. The three performers (Robin Hemmings, Shae Rooke and Abigail Huan) are cheerful and friendly, really taking an interest in the individual children and what they’re creating, and there’s laughter throughout.

Once the cars are completed there’s a road safety lesson that’s brilliant fun but with a really important message, teaching everyone the Green Cross Code. This includes a song and actions that hit home well, with the audience having no problem reciting it back and with some effortlessly joining in with the singing.

And then onto the driving lesson; learning by doing rather than by some stuffy old manual. All the kids pop into their vehicles and drive around the room, navigating a series of hazards. It’s a creative car journey that involves imagining different environments and finding solutions such that they become a part of the storytelling with ease, and it’s all very relaxed. Not all the children wanted to join in the drive, but that’s fine – they could either take an adult along with them or stand back and watch the action. There’s even consideration of electric cars and what the future might look like with them. If I had one suggestion, I’d have the children insist that the adult crossing the road uses the Green Cross Code to put their knowledge into practice!

This is a really delightful, hands-on production that puts young people right at the centre of the imaginative process, whilst empowering them to consider their actions and ideas of change. It would be well suited to a tour of schools after it sets off from the Unicorn, but you can still catch it here for the next few weeks, so start your engines!

Written and directed by Toby Hulse
An A Line Art production

Ready Steady Go! is aimed at ages 3-8 and runs at Unicorn Theatre until Sunday 22 June.