Music Bugs is a company which provides music classes for ‘babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers’, an age group whose three primary occupations seem to be screaming, laughing and falling over. Or at least, that is what I was able to surmise after watching a Music Bugs session for an hour. It feels extremely difficult to write a ‘review’ of this piece as, to all intents and purposes, it was not a ‘show’. It felt more like a toddler’s crèche, and no-one, no matter how cold hearted, could ever write a review criticising a show containing such loved children’s songs as ‘Five Bouncy Bunnies’ and ‘Spider on My Toe’. However, I will attempt to bring some sort of critical eye to bear.
The central premise of Music Bugs is that the group leader encourages the toddlers to join in. Drums, shakers and other various instruments were distributed and the kids were encouraged to play them as loudly as possible during some of the musical numbers. During some of the songs they were given finger puppets to play with, in others pom poms to wave. The parents of the kids were also invited to join in, which most - the exception being one or two surly granddads - did. Often, they did so with far more enthusiasm than their young charges.
Bugsy the bear also accompanied the host, dancing with the kids, clapping along and generally being a fuzzy, warm and loveable presence in the corner of the room. He didn’t stay around too long however, disappearing after three songs into the small back-room - the host assured the kids that ‘Bugsy was tired’- but he did heroically reappear two songs before the end, still dancing in a curiously lacklustre fashion.
Music Bug’s show is not a particularly innovative idea, but it is conducted with loveable enthusiasm and skill and seems to provide a perfect hour of enjoyable anarchy for young children.
