An original story specifically for 2-4 year olds. This Christmas , enter the sparkling world of White where everything is bright and new. We sent our resident dad Frazer to check out the festive Children’s play that is fast winning itself celebratory fans.
Where: South Bank Centre, London
When: December 17-31
‘Enchanting’ seems to be an overused word in reviews of plays. Indeed, of more than just plays. The implications, and weight of expectation such a word renders mean that it should be used sparingly, and advisedly, rather than thrown about willy nilly.
White, the childrens’ play for 2-4 year olds by the consistently wonderful, multi-award winning Catherine Wheels Theatre Company could be seen as a case in point.
A double header, played on a pristine white set by Andy Manley and Ian Cameron, it seems at first inspection a somewhat stark, minimal piece, particularly at this time of year, where the dictate of the panto is a resolute ‘more is more.’
From the outset, though, there is an intimacy and engagement Manley, the writer and his co-deviser Ian Cameron create which beguiles the young audience, as they enter the world of Cotton and Wrinkle. The relative simplicity of the set, as the piece itself, reveals a charm, nuance and, dare I say it, beauty sadly lacking in most trips to the theatre for any age, while the actors demonstrate a deftness of touch and empathy which complements the piece perfectly.
I was lucky enough to take Oran and Tallulah (then a way younger than the indicated 2, truth be told) when the play was in Edinburgh earlier this year. The fact that my son still gleefully recites lines some months after one visit, and the memory of the enthralled faces of the children around them is adequate testament to the strength of White as an experience for progeny and parents alike, while the imaginative staging and production create a genuinely unique experience. Lula, meanwhile, was as quiet a church mouse and grinning like a cheshire cat throughout, if you excuse the mixed metaphors.
Following a wildly successful run in New York, White stops off in London for the next two weeks ahead of a trip to Australia and New Zealand. During their time in NY, no less a theatrical luminary and uber-mum than Sarah Jessica-Parker visited the show twice with Matthew Broderick and their kids, declaring that White was “the best 40 minutes of her life”. Plaudits, awards, and rave reviews have followed White everywhere, and for good reason; for a genuinely uplifting, exhilarating and deceptively profound piece of childrens’ theatre, I would struggle to recommend White more. Enchanting doesn’t begin to cover it.