Review: Tales from the Lighthouse, Little Angel Theatre

As part of Little Angel Theatre’s summer puppetry festival, Tales from the Lighthouse (a collaboration between Little Seeds, League of Curiosity, and Horse + Bamboo) anchors in for a short run following an extensive UK tour. Aimed at ages 5–11, this is a thoughtful piece with high-quality elements and memorable moments. However, over its 50-minute running time, there’s a noticeable lack of cohesion in theatrical and visual style.

Beginning as a gentle storytelling experience framed by a seascape soundscape of gulls and lapping waves, we meet the young Lighthouse Keeper (Oliver Bishop), full of excitement for his new life guiding ships safely past the rocky coast. A beautifully crafted shadow puppetry sequence introduces selkies, water horses, and a charming fishing scene, with the audience invited to take part using small nets. All seems well until a devastating storm causes a local boat to be lost at sea. The Keeper’s relationship with the sea turns to fear, then to anger, and then as the tone shifts, he deliberately drives everyone away. We then sort of enter a world of self-imposed isolation and depression before being plunged into a red lighting state – a technique also used on other occasions where moods or emotions are explored in the piece, which are illustrated by a series of very literal colour light washes. Odd.

Enter The Stranger (Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne), dressed in a slightly stereotypical ‘wise sage’ ensemble of flowing green cloak and pantaloons. We’d actually seen him earlier – he walks through the audience at the start before disappearing behind a hessian backdrop, where he remains unseen, quietly playing a haunting, folk-infused sea shanty style soundtrack on a Anglo concertina.Once fully introduced, the production shifts again, this time into a dreamlike full-on folk concert meets illustrated mime section, where the Stranger helps guide the now older Keeper (represented by a life-sized puppet) through his fear and emotional paralysis.

Why Braithwaite-Kilcoyne is hidden away for so long is unclear, but once he steps forward, the piece finds its rhythm. His performance is exceptional, and the original songs by David Gibb are beautifully crafted and performed. One standout, ‘Dream with Me’, is a particular highlight; stirring, gentle, and evocative. The young audience visibly perks up at the energy of the live music being played onstage before their eyes. According to the programme, Braithwaite-Kilcoyne is one of the UK’s most acclaimed young folk musicians – and it shows.

Through this musical journey, featuring large, charming puppets of selkies, sea birds and other creatures, the Lighthouse Keeper gradually rediscovers joy and connection. There is a real shift in his mental well-being and he feels he can return to his previous life and make friends again. By the end, he’s ready to return to the community, and the piece closes with an enthusiastic, feel-good singalong involving the audience.Tales from the Lighthouse is a very enjoyable, if slightly uneven, mishmash production with some scattered moments of brilliance. With greater rigour in terms dramaturgical clarity and tighter direction, this could become a truly standout piece of children’s theatre.

Written and designed by: Oliver Bishop
Directed & Dramaturg by: Renata Allen
Composed, Musical Director & Sound Design by: David Gibb
Puppet Maker: Gemma Bond
Design Assistant: Ruby Chapman

This production has completed its short run at Little Angel Theatre, and has future dates on tour scheduled.