A heart-warming celebration of the joy of make-believeRating
Good
As the temperatures drop to a manageable 28 degrees outside, our thoughts turn to the days when children can play out again. And what better way to encourage them into the garden than with the help of some imaginative adventure? Emma Higham’s adaptation of Lizzy Stewart’s award-winning book, There’s a Tiger in the Garden at Polka Theatre might be exactly the incentive to do that.
From the very beginning, the audience is immersed in the natural world, with the sound of birdsong filling the auditorium. As the children and their adults settle down, they’re entertained by performers Heidi Goldsmith and Clarke Joseph Edwards, who invite them to engage with some puppet birds, getting up close to nature and being reassured that this garden is a safe space: their space.
We soon meet Nora, played energetically by Tamsin Lynes, a young girl who’s old beyond her years but completely bored. She is encouraged by her Grandma to go and look for some creatures she says she’s seen in the garden, including a tiger! It’s a preposterous idea but Nora and her toy giraffe Jeff go out anyway to see what’s what. The seeds of imagination are planted.
This is a delightful, humorous production from Flock Theatre Makers. It’s filled with music, colour and gentle interaction that builds trust and confidence, perhaps best suited to the younger end of the recommended 3-7 years age range. The trio of performers use Laura McEwan’s beautifully designed puppets to portray the multiple figures from the book with cheerful energy and entertaining characterisation. A grumpy polar bear was a particular high spot for me, but huge, glittering dragonflies floating over the heads of the audience really lift the story from page to stage, and man-eating plants add a touch of peril when they attempt to nab Jeff. McEwan does an excellent job of capturing the aesthetic of the illustrations, extending them across an impressively flexible set that opens out revealingly as the adventure unfolds.
As they travel into the slightly surreal world of Nora’s make-believe, the young audience become part of the imagined landscape, growing themselves and experiencing the space differently. There’s fun to be had as they participate in a variety of activities and even get soaked by a squirting fish! Some of the best moments are when the tiger’s growl is teasingly heard but he’s not visible, and we’re left to anticipate his possible appearance.
There are a couple of places where the show might go a little further. There’s room for some spectacle in the puppetry that is the ominous tiger, which is currently just a head. It’s also a bit of a shame the ending is different from that of the book, as the original story nicely suggests how creative imagination then accompanies Nora in from the garden to enhance her normal life.
That aside, songs and music by Freya Wynn-Jones are a real highlight. They’re beautifully performed by the talented cast and bring a sense of enchanting magic to the already visually delightful show.
There’s a Tiger in the Garden is a heart-warming celebration of the joy of make-believe and an invitation to engage with imagination. It’s an ideal inside activity that might well encourage your little ones to explore outside. Let’s hope they don’t bring any tigers home with them though…
Director & Writer Emma Higham
Music Director & Composer Freya Wynn-Jones
Designer Laura McEwen
Sound Designer Lewis Gibson
Produced by Flock Theatre Makers
There’s a Tiger in the Garden is aimed at ages 3-7 years and runs at Polka Theatre until Sunday 9 August.
