Feast
Banquet for gigglers
Peter Kennedy: Camden Times,
London 28th December 2005

Sometimes it’s an energy-sapping ordeal persuading kids to eat a meal never mind a feast, but, like cuisine, theatre is all about presentation.

Monster Productions serve up a sumptuous treat that has kids sitting rapt, licking their lips.

King Nibble IV is fed up of tasteless microwave meals and longs for the days of his great-grandfather when the royal kitchen prepared dishes full of flavour and imagination.  With the help of Stodge, the cook, and the mysterious Marragrew, his highness sets sail for foreign lands in search of exotic foods to create a meal truly fit for a king.

Al the ingredients for great kids’ theatre are included – the narrative is well paced and energetic, inventive yet digestible; the costumes and sets are eye-catchingly colourful; the puppetry – from muppet to shadow – is effective, and the folk-tinged nursery rhymes and sing-a-long sea shanties on guitar, accordion and vibes keep the fun ticking.

Kids’ theatre usually lasts 45-50 minutes, but here’s the poser: how do you get a toddler to sit still for an hour?  No need to answer the question.  The kids are encouraged to jump up and re-enact nautical routines – climbing ladders, tying knots and weighing anchors.  There’s even a healthy eating subtext as Marragrew proselytises on the beauty of home-grown vegetables and home-made pastries.

Feast sets a new benchmark in my 12 months of children’s fringe.  The experience and enthusiasm of Monster Productions is guaranteed to have parents and kids returning Oliver-like for more.

At the Chelsea Theatre, World’s End Place,
London SW10 0DR