Now,
it is fair to say that I am one of The egg theatre’s biggest fans; from their
always ‘left of centre’ productions to the amount of creativity and effort they
put into Bath’s school children, they never fail to impress. So it was with
proper excitement (and no trepidation) that the husband and I took our seats on
the balcony for this telling of a wonderfully eccentric tale.
Moomintroll
was a firm favourite in my childhood and has definitely enjoyed a new
popularity in recent years with a new generation. In fact, it’s more popular
than ever if all the merchandise is anything to go by! As I looked over from my
seat I couldn’t fail to notice the little girl cuddling her Moominpapa and
Moominmama dolls, wearing her Moomintroll dress.
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“Look, you can see Moomintroll’s ears! There, see, see?”
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One
of the things The egg has over the main house is its intimacy. Before the play
had started, children had already noticed the ears of the three Moomin puppets
in their bed, my husband spotted the teapot, floating over-head. When we
finally met the stars (expertly operated by the Horse + Bamboo Puppet Company),
they were already in our hearts and very much alive. We watched as Moomintroll
overcame his anxieties about being alone with the help of a new friend, Too-Ticky
and his magical Shrews who are so shy they are invisible. Little My was an
audience winner as the voice of mischief and mayhem was brought to us in the
form of the Hemulen, skier extraordinaire. The Groke (a creature of ‘wet misery
who just looks’) was especially impressive, dwarfed only by the ethereal Lady
of the Cold. But it was the little absent minded squirrel with the fantastic
tail that really stole the show, at least that’s what the two children next to
me said.
For
me though, the triumph of this unique Christmas production was the scenery and
the incredible animation as the back-drop. Along with the magical music score,
this quirky, thoughtful production captured my imagination and beguiled every
child in the auditorium. I especially noticed the little girl hug her Moomin
dolls tighter as her mum fastened up her Moomin bobble hat. And my husband bought me a Moomin mug.
Moominland
Midwinter is on at The egg until January, 12th 2014. Book now and
let a little beauty into your hearts.
©Lisa
Lee 2014, sleeping in Elvegren Reviews
I will have to see if the moomins are here! Miss A would love! Thanks for the story and whisking me into the theatre. I could almost smell it
ReplyDeleteThe books are beautiful, simply illustrated and really thought provoking tales. When Moomintroll wakes up mid-hibernation, he doesn't understand where the sun has gone. Then he learns that all the creatures that prefer not to be seen or just don't fit in normally only inhabit Moominland in Midwinter. It's a little nod to all the shy ones out there, a little encouragement for them to step forward once in a while! xxx
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