THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKERS by Mike Kenny. Polka Adventure Theatre to 9 Febr

London

THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKERS
by Mike Kenny

Polka Theatre, Wimbledon To 9 February 2002.
Runs 45 mins No interval

TICKETS 020 8543 4888
Review Timothy Ramsden 13 December 2001

Gentle storytelling in a friendly environment for 3-5 year olds. Polka's Adventure Theatre is a studio kitted out for the very young. Adults are sternly placed at the back – rightly so. Most of the floor is covered with cushions for the real audience. The small performance space is here turned into an old shoe shop. There's no blackout and the elderly couple who shuffle on talk directly to the young people in front of them.

It's an irresistible opening and wins the audience over. From then on, whenever called to do so, they assist the characters when they lose things or need ideas. The happy oldsters have only one problem: no-one's buying their shoes and poverty looms. The breadbasket is empty. Enter two elves, first seen as tiny puppets then as human actors, when Duncan and McCrink have had time to metamorphose themselves. Abi Bown's set cunningly reveals some oversize objects, such as a massive button, to give the right scale for these humanoid elves.

Tirelessly working through the night, the pair make such fine shoes that there are soon queues for the couple's footwear. And, things now being happy, the story ends. Simple enough, it's true, but ideally paced for its audience, who discover things along with the characters, or just enough ahead to give a satisfying sense of events seeming natural.

This delightful show is a revival that should already be on its way to becoming a classic of theatre for the very young. The friendly acting, attentive to audience responses, is ideal.

Dolly: Felicity Duncan
Billy: Paul McCrink

Director: Vicky Ireland
Designer: Abi Bown
Costumes: Annie James
Music and Lyrics: Andrew Dodge

2001-12-17 00:11:54