Giddy by name and giddy by nature. C theatre's punny and enthusiastic tale of a young kid with severe vertigoat captures the attention of all audience members. When Giddy cannot climb to the goat-worthy heights of his siblings, he wonders whether he would be better suited as another, less 'jumpy' animal, however when crisis occurs Giddy overcomes fear, prejudice and the terrors of Needle Mountain to help a friend in need.
A simple set is used imaginatively to tell the story - the use of shadow puppet goats climbing the mountain was a particularly endearing touch - and this coupled with an enthusiastic and talented company meant this tale of youthful dreams came alive and enthralled the younger members of the audience.
From a dizzying trip down the infamous 'Needle Mountain' on a silver tea tray, to a sheep fiesta conducted by Spanish sheep 'Man-wool,' 'Giddy Goat' is a musical and comedic extravaganza pitched perfectly at the children in the audience. The interaction between cast and audience worked well in involving the children. We were encouraged to learn the rules of 'Rock Rounders,' have a siesta and join the cast on stage during the finale, moments of fun which particularly delighted the children.
Musical numbers were a particularly welcome addition to the narrative tale and were delivered strongly by the company creating a full and impressive sound which might be expected of a larger company. However certain solos were delivered with slightly less accuracy and the cast seemed a little vocally tired. In addition some of the movement and dance sections seemed a bit lacklustre in comparison to the energy of the rest of the piece. In this instance some more specific and disciplined choreography would have been welcome.
Littered with puns and amusing asides to keep the adult members of the audience entertained, 'Giddy Goat' succeeds in engaging the children with a profound and worthy message. Whilst it may be 'Great to be a Goat,' -so great in fact that two musical numbers were dedicated to it- Giddy and his dizzying adventures teach the rest of the goats that sheep are not so different.
