Mr and Mrs Chickweed and their garden of prize winning vegetables is the location for The Enormous Turnip, this year's seasonal offering at Watermans Theatre.

It's not your traditional festive show by any means and I personally would have liked something more Chrismassy, nevertheless it provided just over an hour's entertainment to a packed and vocal audience.

Suitable for the younger age group (probably aged 7 and under) this old Russian folk tale starts very gently, introducing us to the two characters who make up the whole of this ensemble.

Marc Parrett and Niki McCretton, are Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company and play Raymond and Dottie Chickweed - a couple near retirement who can't resist planting just one more seed in their garden.

That seed grows to become.. yes The Enormous Turnip.

That's basically the whole story, but add a sprinkling of puppets, some live music and singing as well as plenty of enthusiastic audience participation and you have a children's show.

I would have liked to have seen 'cuter' vegetable puppets (think muppet veg ) as these ones had no faces or character. In the first 'half' the pace was a little too gentle, verging on slow - a few minor technical hitches didn't help. As previously mentioned it didn't feel festive enough for a December offering but I'm someone who likes the whole OTT snowy, magical panto thing. If you're looking for that try the Lyric.

However there were enough happy children leaving the theatre on Sunday and that's what really counts isn't it?

If you're looking for a family show that isn't too long or perhaps one that helps introduce the theatre for the first time to the very smallest child, this is it.

 

 

 

Annemarie Flanagan

 

10 December 2012