“. . . The two female leads circle and play off each other throughout, unknowingly becoming crucial influences on each other while an unlikely friendship brews between them. . . The staging of the action was wonderfully realised with a mesmerising set that morphed from twirling cog wheels to portcullis bars; time pieces gave way to an extraordinary mechanised Wizard; changing skyscapes dissolved to the green green shininess of Oz . . .”
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“. . . Tyrone Huggins is a joy to watch, his command of stage and audience is of the highest quality. He has a bubbling energy, rhythm and openness to his performance that makes him incredibly watchable: his “bee dance” is particularly amusing. He is also the writer of the play and you can see he has a personal connection with the work as he gets underneath the text to make his message clear. . . Learning “isn’t the same as knowing” says the Honey Man wisely, and this play packs a moral punch: or should that be “sting”. Charming in places, a reflective piece – sweet, just like honey.”
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This version by the Norwich Puppet Theatre is designed for little folk of four and up so the moral part of the story concerns innocence and deception with some fun being had on how the wolf is outsmarted by the chattering washerwomen who live in Little Red’s village. The carved wooden rod puppets are non-naturalistic with a hint of expressionism, the kind of exaggeration one finds in many children’s books. The puppeteers, wearing black, are in full view and do a good job in characterizing the puppets in their voices.
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” . . . To a great sound track by local musician Kid Carpet, Cori found ‘clues’ amongst the audience and with the children’s participation started to find links to the missing mini-girl . . . The show is fun and quite gentle – no loud bangs for instance, and relies solely on Cori’s unquestionable talent for instilling life into inanimate objects and her confident and friendly manner. As an alternative to the annual panto, this is a good entrée to the world of theatre for the very young.
Read More“. . . 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. . . “
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Phillips and Powell are both superb. His character is of such warmth that it shines through each adopted voice or anecdote and her control is some sort of wizardry. Her poetic readings are the highlight of the show. They swell and excel in synchrony, each minor oral oscillation or small movement of the hand, pinch of the lip or paused breath, stealing the audience’s attention – perhaps stealing is the wrong word, but there is an unshakeable sense that each is engaged in (friendly, even unconscious) battle for our eyes.
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