Theatre is back and it’s now more important than ever to see as much as possible to save the arts. Start them young and encourage a love for the theatre early I say and what better production to get little kids inspired by the arts than The Very Hungry Caterpillar show, created by Jonathan Rockefeller. This global sensation returns for an Autumn/Winter Tour and we were lucky enough to see it for the first time last week.
We went along to the Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells to catch this magnificent magic on stage. It’s beautiful vibrant colour and expert puppetry is a treat for the eyes and imagination. Taking us on a journey through four of Eric Carle’s classic books; Brown Bear Brown Bear, 10 Little Rubber Ducks, The Very Lonely Firefly and the star of the show; The Very Hungry Caterpillar, my three year old, five year old and I were mesmerised from start to finish.
The puppets are big and small, stomping, swimming, hopping, slithering and flying, high and low. It is wonderful to watch these puppeteers move such spectacular artistic creations so realistically. The Brown Bear’s entrance is the first animal we see, peeping his head on to stage which really captivates the audience from the beginning. From then on it just gets better and better, as we watch in wonder as all of the illustrations in these four Eric Carle books come to life. The set is a simple white, lit up with colours throughout the performance which illuminates the beauty and wonder of these enchanting puppets – all 75 of them!
The grand finale when the much anticipated hungry caterpillar emerges before us is a joy to watch. My two were fascinated by the growing caterpillar which is an exact representation of the one in the book, cleverly and hilariously chomping his way through all of his fruit and treats. Finally he makes his cocoon and within a blink of an eye he is transformed in to the most extraordinary butterfly with wings almost as big as the stage itself. A truly magical ending to a spellbinding show.
I enjoyed this performance as much as my children, which is not always the case when we see something specifically for them. I highly recommend it for ages 0-99!
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Autumn/Winter Tour Dates:
Sunday 21 November 2021
Palace Theatre, Southend
Box Office: www.southendtheatres.org.uk
Monday 22 November 2021
The Elgiva, Chesham
Box Office: www.elgiva.com
ON SALE SOON
Tuesday 23 – Wednesday 24 November 2021
The White Rock, Hastings
Box Office: www.whiterocktheatre.org.uk
Saturday 27 – Sunday 28 November 2021
Redgrave Theatre, Bristol
Box Office: www.redgravetheatre.com
Wednesday 1 – Saturday 11 December 2021
The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury
Box Office: www.themillartscentre.co.uk
Monday 13 – Friday 24 December 2021
Warwick Arts Centre
Box Office: www.warwickartscentre.co.uk