Opera Mouse is a very enjoyable half hour and should be praised for tackling a subject not typically associated with ‘traditional’ children’s theatre.
The story, unsurprisingly, follows a young mouse named Tilly who wants to be an opera singer but who refuses to accept any help in the process. At half an hour long, the show is sharp and to the point, and this simplicity allows it to be followed quite easily by younger children. The short length of the show however means that there’s only so much that it can say.
The idea of producing a show about opera for children seems an odd choice, but Gall pulls it off with, well, gall. She is a very talented singer and skilfully blends snippets from famous pieces like Carmen together with a puppet mouse who enjoys ear massages. Added dynamism could perhaps be found with an additional performer and an extra 10-15 minutes of performance, but what we have already is very good.
The children present when I saw the show were all on the younger side of things, a fact noted by Gall herself more than once. As such, the audience interaction sequences of bringing children onstage to sing didn’t work quite as well as they perhaps could have. It’s worth noting though that older children, perhaps aged 5 and above, would probably enjoy these sequences a lot more.
Opera Mouse is a very enjoyable half hour and should be praised for tackling a subject not typically associated with ‘traditional’ children’s theatre.
