SHOE BABY. To 5 January.

Ipswich.

SHOE BABY.
adapted from the book by Joyce Dunbar music by Tom Gray.

New Wolsey Studio St George’s Street To 5 January 2008.
Mon-Sat 11am & 2pm.
no performance 25-26, 31 Dec, 1 Jan.
Runs 25min No interval.

TICKETS: 01473 295900.
www.wolseytheatre.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 14 December.

Every good thing has to end – but surely not this soon.
Long Nose Puppets present this show from an elongated Punch & Judy Booth, where the four performers begin with a parade of dancing shoes. Only one of these contains a baby, who proceeds to travel in it to various scenes. How it moves is never clear, for what’s seen moving is the background panorama, which rolls along.

There again, a piece for 2-6 year olds (except possibly for the top end of that range) doesn’t need to concentrate on how things happen, or story development. It’s enough to represent a series of situations clearly. Whether the footwear’s treading, gliding or flying hardly matters, any more than whether the baby’s involved in its propulsion or not. Such questions don’t occur. What matters is what’s in front of us. How many 2 or 3 year olds decide where they’re going or control how they reach there?

The colourful backings to each panel and the amount of time given to absorb each scene are well-matched to the younger age-range. So is the amiable-looking baby-doll, with its quizzically pleased expression. And the whole piece is rounded-off as an adult giant appears alongside the booth, the parent claiming their lost child.

Long Nose have a show well-tuned to the very young. It’s colourful, comical and entertaining. It’s also advertised as about 45 minutes long, but lasts barely half that. Duration may not matter much to the young, especially when there’s a chance to see the puppets close-up afterwards. But for parents making an effort, paying for tickets, parking or bus fares, it can easily seem less than good value – especially when, as on this occasion, the theatre management has kept the audience waiting an unexplained 15 minutes for the start.

There’s no point extending the natural length of a piece to fill up advertised time. But surely it would be possible to devise a companion piece, or use material - and materials - from past shows to give people what they’ve been told they’re paying for.

cast and credits not available.

2007-12-27 00:41:40