All this week at the Alma Tavern, the multi-talented Paddle Boat present their production of A Little Man’s Holiday; an adventure story to please adults and children alike.
Bristol’s shores are still left pillaged after the swashbuckling Swallows and Amazons, playing recently at The Old Vic. You’d think that the combination of high seas, piracy and Children’s Theatre had been done to death. But Paddle Boat bring a unique humour, an inventiveness and story-telling pizazz to rival even Tom Morris’ production.
As the children arrive, they’re instantly engaged – invited by the shipmates to help them gather props – a steering wheel, a cutlass, a sail. The cast sway, steer, and swerve to avoid sharks. And then, all at once, the rough seas and mainsails are replaced by boring office blocks and a dreary normality.
This is where we meet Little Man – played by Michael Smith – the underdog, the everyman, the daydreamer… Michael (who also wrote the piece) is a fantastic comical performer. His character is a little strange, a little shy and a little neurotic – far more believable and enjoyable to watch than the uber-confident and virtuous John and Susan (aka, The Swallows.)
I spoke to Michael a little about what it’s like to work with children. “My favourite thing about A Little Man’s Holiday,” he told me, “is the audience interaction. It’s great performing in front of children because you can completely tell when something works and when it doesn’t. They’ll either laugh at your jokes, or they’ll turn to their friends and start talking over the top of you.”
Michael, as The Little Man, invites the children to become part of his crew; to join in with his daydreams and indulge his fantasy of becoming a real pirate.
The play tells the story of a man in search of adventure. Little Man is “tired of reports and tired of typing.” Little Man wants a holiday.
It teaches us kids the importance of imagination; the values and merits of daydreaming. With simplistic, brilliant initiative the company create a series of daydreams, using the mundane and the everyday. At work, a single piece of paper becomes a ship, and then a shark, and then a cannonball. Little Man pelts the audience with paper, and a tumultuous fight breaks out between the kids and himself.
At home, Little Man’s Mother animates her stories of past-piracy with clothes pegs and washing. It’s an endearing idea to make the Mother an old adventurer, passing down the baton to her son. My favourite thing about the play is the fact that Little Man decides to bring his old mum along with him on his adventure. Though I’d like to have seen Katy Dash – who directed the show – playing the age of the Mother, and characterizing her a little more, she was fantastic and engaging alongside Michael.
The other two members of the company – Stuart Cottrell and Harriet Brown – are equally important in creating the magic of the piece. All of the company are so transparently invested, working onstage as the actors, the musicians and the puppeteers to create a wonderfully engaging, very funny and dynamic show – from beautiful songs to vivid underwater swims with jellyfish.
This is a company who clearly work hard to create engaging performances for kids; who constantly develop their work, listen to feedback, and have a genuine passion for what they do.
A Little Man’s Holiday is a show which doesn’t patronize children, or dumb down for them. Instead, it works on their level. It invites them play, and engages their imagination. And even if you don’t have kids, it’s still well worth a watch. ★★★★☆ Chris White 17/02/15
