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Stick Man Live on Stage!

 
Louisa-Claire Dunnigan Review by Louisa-Claire Dunnigan 5 Published: 11 Aug 2010 Show Dates: 31 Dec 1969-31 Dec 1969

Stick Man has just gone out for an innocent jog, when suddenly he is snatched up by a dog. Stick Man’s unwelcome adventure continues as he becomes a girl’s pooh stick, is used in a Swan’s nest, floats out to sea and is used as a bat in a game on an unknown beach. This production is saturated with jaunty music and excellent lighting. The audience is transported along with Stick Man on his journey as the stage moves from dappled green to submerged in blue light, the sound of the river bubbling over the music. The snowing scene provokes oohs and aahs from all ages. This rhyming story is told through exaggerated facial expressions and silly accents, while actions are often accompanied with whistles, tinkles and cymbals. These all combine to keep the young audience engaged throughout: though there is the inevitable wriggling, the huge audience seem entirely captivated by Stick Man’s struggles. The show doesn’t try to pander to its adult audience, and this is one of its greatest strengths. Though there are occasional jokes thrown in slyly for the older crowd, the actors never forget their real audience, and the jokes about weeing and bums get laughs from everyone. There’s also the perfect amount of audience participation, with much pointing and yelling of ‘over there!’ and even a giant game of catch.At the beginning, some seemed quite scared by the silhouetted trees and slightly spooky green lighting - a couple of children had to take their mothers home. But by the end, the crowd of children sitting near me loved the whole experience. ‘I liked Santa the best’ says Katie, 5, ‘And the big stick man.’ Her mum sums it up: “Magical.” This is the perfect lunchtime show, but be warned: you’ll be humming the tunes all afternoon.

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The Blurb:

'Stick man lives in the family tree with his stick lady love and their stick children three.' Julia Donaldson's fabulous book brought vividly to life. Packed full of puppetry, catchy songs, live music and funky moves ***** (WhatsOnStage.com). www.scamptheatre.com