Polished performances, with a fluffy, woofy wonder of a puppet puppy! Rating
Good
Quentin Blake‘s much loved character Mrs Armitage is known in both picture book form and in the BBC animated series Quentin Blake’s Box of Treasures. But now she comes live to the stage in Mrs Armitage on Wheels, as part of the Southbank Centre‘s Imagine festival.
This musical adaptation for ages 3-8 is directed and adapted by Samantha Lane and tells how the imaginative inventor and her dog Breakspear attempt to cycle to her cousin Angela’s house for cake. They are relentlessly hindered by having to problem solve, which results in ever-increasing items being added to Mrs A’s bicycle. The tale is a reinvention that adds music and multiple extra characters. Focused more on the TV story than that of the book, it notably misses out the sense of Mrs A overcoming vulnerability to get her oomph back and it feels a little unfamiliar to the source material.
The production certainly has a terrific cast. Gillian Kirkpatrick gives a beautifully polished performance as the intrepid inventor, with impeccable timing, a delightful singing voice and a confident rapport with the audience. She is supported brilliantly by James Keningale and Thomas Walton who energetically multi-role characters, with Walton additionally puppeteering Breakspear the dog (who threatens to upstage them all he’s so cute, and who brings most of the comic moments).
Maia Kirkman-Richards’ smart puppet design delivers this adorable little fluffy, woofy wonder. It also sees some clever repurposing of domestic objects as puppets, which feeds sympathetically into the ideas of the story and its themes of reinvention and imagining things differently, with a further through line of the importance of friendship, kindness and generosity.
There’s a hint of Blake’s illustration to be seen in the background on a large backdrop, but largely the stage is dominated by a huge shed-like structure, which is Mrs A’s house. Designed by Ryan Dawson Laight, it’s remarkably flexible, folding like origami to reveal different sections of her home and workshop – there were audible gasps from the child in front of me as it first extended! Impressive it may be, but at times the solid nature of the structure plays again the idea of Mrs A going on an adventure as it’s always very visibly in sight, creating a sense that she never actually leaves it, and there’s no real journey. Additionally, much of the invention that occurs is done when Mrs A goes inside the workshop, returning with a completed thingumajig: it would be nice to instead actually see everyday items and props from the set combined and transformed before your very eyes to add a bit of extra magic to her skilful reinvention.
Jessie Maryon Davies’ music and songs are charming and perfectly performed, but could perhaps benefit from more of a mix of styles to add texture to the show. There are one or two moments where the children are encouraged to join in, which were well-received by the young audience, and there’s definitely room for a bit more of this.
For some reason, towards the end of the show Keningale comes on in rollerskates to deliver a cake. It’s a strange choice because it’s clear he’s no skater and although he stays upright there’s nothing positive added – no impressive choreographed flourish or enchanting glamour, just slightly tense jeopardy, which creates a bit of an awkward moment.
There’s definitely opportunity here to lean more into the magic of transformation, but the whole is a polished, if a little lightweight, adaptation. It perhaps feels more like a trip to the garden centre than an epic adventure. But what a cute dog!
Directed and adapted by: Samantha Lane
Music and lyrics by: Jessie Maryon Davies
Set and costume design by: Ryan Dawson Laight
Puppetry design by: Maia Kirkman-Richards
Sound design by: Ian Oakley
Presented by: esk and Roast Productions
Mrs Armitage on Wheels is aimed at ages 3-8 years and plays at Southbank Centre until Saturday 21 February. You can read more about the show in our recent interview with puppet designer Maia Kirkman-Richards.
