My main memory of French lessons is struggling to remember lists of increasingly bizarre irregular verbs, a recollection many will, sadly, find familiar. Often, there was little fun in it. So it was nice to see the institut francais d’Ecosse, put on a little play for the very young which combined charm with a little French education.
Lapin -the almost-worryingly big-headed rabbit- wants a very specific flavour of ice-cream that can’t be found. This starts a search through Lapin’s friends in order to find this elusive flavour. We encountered a snail, a bird and a worm. The puppets are handled with cartoonish fun, each being particularly amusing, backed with choice sound effects. One little boy enjoyed the bird so much, he yelled out ‘NO’ as it was drawn back off stage. The sets are brightly-coloured and well-designed, each part of it fitting into the pointing and naming parts of the show. In addition the show excels with spoken or sung along parts, especially in a rendition of ‘Frere Jacques’ enjoyed by both parents and children alike. There are some problems – it drags a little bit towards to end, which meant minds also began to wander – but the promise of chocolate at the end kept most excited. Certain to be enjoyed by anyone looking to both entertain and educate young children.
