The story of Rapunzel won’t be unfamiliar to audiences in Bath this Xmas: the tale of a young girl with unusually long hair, locked in a tower, dreaming of liberty. And there is a handsome prince in there somewhere too. The cast and creative team have taken most of the traditional narrative, blended it with a few modern touches, spiced it up with plenty of music and served up a family treat at the lovely Egg theatre.

Original adapted by writer Annie Siddons some time ago, this version of the popular fairy tale has been performed by Kneehigh theatre company in several venues. Director Nik Partridge, who has done family theatre before, and designer Rosanna Vize have tailored this show for the Egg using all of the attributes of this charming and versatile venue. It has the height and space of a traditional theatre but it’s small enough to let spectators feel close to the action. Even before the start of the show the cast are engaging with the young audience; stepping from the stage to high-five the kids and share jokes and banter. And with the even the furthest spectator only a few rows back you get an instinctive sense of connection with the performers, something that sets theatre apart from film and TV.

Samantha Sutherland has the title role and plays Rapunzel as an intelligent and adventurous young lady. Her loving but ultimately overbearing mother is played by Peta Maurice, who also flips roles cleverly to be the smart but boring Prince Paulo. It falls to Joseph Tweedale to play the other, more charming, Prince Patrizio. He is recognisable face from his notable rolls at the Tobacco Factory theatre in recent years. Martin Bonger gives a steady performance as the Duke but is delightful as the wild boar, who helps Rapunzel during her exploits. Dorian Simpson as Ambrosio is funny and clever, switching voices for other rolls. Rose McPhilemy shows her versatility as Prezzemolina, while all of the cast add some singing, dancing and clowning. Along with musician Alex Hearne they also play instruments, which keeps them pretty busy throughout the performance so we can excuse the odd moments when the energy drops.

Credit to the creative team for the sets, which are lush, leafy and enchanting; a tower and a forest, a city and a palace. The songs are concise and clever, with excellent incidental music that builds atmosphere and underscores the characters. Inventive lighting and subtle sound effects complete the suite.  Amongst the fun and laughter there is menace, grief and reflection to make this a fully rounded show. Themes of love and adventure mix with talk of austerity and guilt. The cast make good use of some customary panto-style devices, chases around the auditorium and teasing the audience, without milking the clichés. It’s a lesson in love, redemption, oppression and obsession as well as being a fast and fun show.     ★★★★☆   Adrian Mantle   12^th December 2019