Review: Whatever the Weather, Unicorn Theatre

From scorching sun to thunderstorms, we’ve had the lot this summer. What better place, then, to be with your children, than inside the Unicorn Theatre for Whatever the Weather?

This delightfully playful immersive production is aimed at ages 0-7 years and their carers, and it’s a lovely way to spend time together. The broad age advisory also means you can enjoy the activity as a group even if your children are reasonably far apart in age.

The experience begins in a gloomy corner; but there’s plenty to do, with interactive puddles to step in activating splashing sounds, the noise of rain echoed by tubular bells, and a fringed curtain that’s visually reminiscent of rainfall. A voiceover invites us to explore beyond the fringe, offering sensible advice about being kind to others.

As the wider space becomes illuminated, the children’s faces also light up, and they surge forward joyfully. Designed by Rūta Irbīte, the room is a veritable artwork, filled with defined areas that each suggest weather, from glowing ice to snow, to rain, to warm sunshine. Refreshingly, there’s not a predictable primary colour in sight. The children nonetheless engage enthusiastically with this world, while Deanna H Choi’s vibrant soundtrack gives structure and pulse to shifting atmospheres and states of weather.

Curiosity is activated as the children explore, imagine and reinvent, working individually, with their adults or negotiating with peers. There are caves to crawl into, ice blocks to construct with and things to be discovered. A highlight is a huge snowbank made of white, velvety fabric – perfect for clambering across. Many of the audience keenly throw themselves off, shrieking with joy as they land on the softly cushioning snowballs beneath (if you have any concerns here, you might consider bringing your under 3s to the dedicated session for that age group). Others spend time hanging icicles from the arch of the gauzy ice tunnel, or taking downtime on a stormcloud, lying back while sending smaller rainclouds swinging outwards. There’s even a fabulously surprising snowstorm under the Northern Lights, which initiates a mini-rave of dancing tinies. This is a room filled with playful possibility and it feels both safe and liberating, with Unicorn staff on hand to keep a helpful eye on freely wandering little ones.

The sensory elements of the piece are beautifully considered, offering multiple textures, colours and sounds. They encourage listening and investigating with eyes, hands and bodies. Going over, under, across, up and down, there are tunnels to traverse, paths to pursue, puddles to plop into and rainmakers to rattle; choices for everyone to make individually or in partnership as they play. I saw a number of children teaching new friends ways to use the available props, finding agency together. It’s also a well-paced work, with Tyler Forward’s lovely lighting states altering to mark shifts in time and environment. I was hoping to detect changes in temperature or blowing winds in some corners but didn’t find them, which is an addition perhaps to be made, although certainly not essential as there’s lots packed in here.

This is a generous 40 minute activity, and just enough. The end of the performance is a cleverly crafted exercise in tidying up and calming down, which feels somewhat like a treasure hunt as snowballs are returned to their snow drift, icicles to their caves. As the sun emerges and we follow the rainbow to exit, we’re encouraged to continue to play, explore and be curious whatever the weather. Some of this gorgeously creative play will certainly be taken home and remembered on a future day indoors.

A Unicorn Theatre and Theatre Hullabaloo production.
Designer: Rūta Irbīte
Dramaturg: Daniel Naddafy
Composer and Sound Designer: Deanna H Choi
Lighting Designer: Tyler Forward
Production Manager: Chloe Stally Gibson
Digital Technologist: Jonathan Green
Co-Creative Play Consultant: Lucy Cassidy (PhD Research Studentship, York St John University / Theatre Hullabaloo)
Access Consultant: Natalya Martin
Creative Hub Facilitators: Charlene Low and Stasha Dukic

Whatever the Weather is aimed at ages 0-7 years and runs at the Unicorn Theatre until Sunday 16 August.