Review: Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape, Little Angel Theatre

Day is ending at Little Angel Studios and a fabulous night sky fills the space, its rich blue canopy speckled with starlight. As the keepers at London Zoo lock up the reptile house for the day, they relate the tale of how Brian the deadly king cobra once escaped, to be then tracked down by Toto and her ever-hungry brother Silver, extraordinary Italian cats now living in London.

Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape is a humorous tale of adventure and romance, based on the popular book by Dermot O’Leary, and here co-adapted by Barb Jungr and Samantha Lane. This is a beautifully big show that fills the studio space well; a confident, colourful adaptation injected with energy by Lane’s tight direction. It sets a lovely balance between dynamic storytelling and rich visuals, allowing space for the audience to imagine for themselves even as it uses fabulous puppetry and songs to bring the familiar characters alive. 

Toto, we learn, is no ordinary cat: she’s based on O’Leary’s actual rescue cat, meaning she has very limited vision and must trust her other senses. The story leans nicely into this at points without overplaying it, including sensory moments listening at the Whispering Gallery in St Paul’s cathedral and some fluffy tummy rubbing for a tiger who’s more cuddly than terrifying. Fortunately, Toto is a trained ninja, so when she and Silver go out after dark she’s fully primed for adventure. And adventure they indeed encounter in London, where a secret animal world excitingly coexists with the human one and they must track down illegal pet smugglers. Sherry Coenen‘s wonderfully evocative lighting design shines throughout, marking time passing with the sky’s colour constantly shifting as the characters race across the city. A radiant moon dominates the stage, also used to project images that instantly relocate us to the landmarks and sewers of London.

The charismatic cast (Charlotte Bloomsbury, Richard Lounds and Vinnie Monachello) deliver skilfully impressive performances, satisfyingly avoiding being saccharine with the age 5+ audience, which gives just the right edge to this adventure story. Together they present a delightful variety of songs – from ballads to action numbers, all with Jungr’s distinctive, fresh style – that tie the scenes neatly together. Simultaneously, the trio manipulate a flexible set that allows us to speedily journey alongside the courageous cats and their friends, while they also operate a selection of fabulous puppets with precision teamwork.

Of course the stars of the show are the amazing puppets, designed by Oliver Hymans with Naomi Oppenheim and a talented team that includes work experience creatives. The brilliant designs lean into the book illustrations by Nick East, making the characters reassuringly identifiable and giving them continuity across forms. Expect some hugely exciting, bold animation, particularly with the king cobras, that has the young audience shrieking out loud with pleasure.

The show is clearly London-centric, but rather than being a problem that’s perhaps an opportunity to learn about surprisingly true things in the city, such as the presence of green parakeets and Larry the Downing Street cat. We’re reminded to expect the unexpected in life, both with this and with Toto’s extraordinary capabilities, despite her limited vision.

I suspect O’Leary is still a big kid at heart. His story has a real feel that it’s been written for and with input from children, delivering popular animal characters such as snakes, tigers, rats and cats, a reassuring sibling relationship, facts to be checked – but also embedding a sense there are more secrets to be learned about Toto. It’s the basis of a fun and thrilling performance, and there’s definitely room here for sequels to come…

Based on the book by Dermot O’Leary and illustrated by Nick East.
Co-adaptors: Barb Jungr and Samantha Lane
Director: Samantha Lane
Music and Lyrics: Barb Jungr
Set, Costume and Puppet Design: Oliver Hymans
Lighting Design: Sherry Coenen
Stage Manager: Alex Hobbs
Puppet Co-Design: Naomi Oppenheim
Puppet Design Assistant: Jess Shead
Puppet Costume Maker: Valeriya Voronkina
Work Experience Puppet Makers: Olivia Tyler, Katherine Byrne and Lara Rees
Props Assistant: Kira Turnpenny

Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape is aimed at ages 5+ and plays at Little Angel Studios until Sunday 19 July.