Dommy B, eminent slam poet known to children for his appearance on CBeebies' Rhyme Rocket, produces a great free children's show which is designed to get even very young kids interested in poetry and rhymes. The show boasted an excellent combination of exciting and funny stories from Dommy B and plenty of audience participation to keep children interested, though it did suffer a little from being too long to keep the attention of the youngest children in the audience.
Dommy B invited the audience to help him write poems that will save a group of villagers from the reign of a fearsome dragon. The poet's skills were obvious from the outset, as he was able to construct a poem in seconds using suggestions from the children, making them feel involved by speaking directly to them and incorporating even the suggested words and phrases that may not fit his original specifications.
His props, all hand-drawn, were used well and help the children to engage with the stories he tells. However, props other than drawings may be more effective. As this is a solo show, minor costume changes with the use of hats or wigs would make Dommy B's transition between several characters more clear for children. At certain points, his poems and stories were perhaps a little too involved for younger children to understand and the alterations in voice and accent he used to indicate a character change, while a good technique, may confuse children.
However, overall this is a very strong show, and certainly the opportunity for adults to bring their children to such a fun and educational show for free is very rare. His efforts should be highly praised.
