The Velveteen Rabbit is one of those old children’s books that aren’t loved and cherished by children today as they were by the generation before. Children identify with the characters on television a lot nowadays, so it’s brilliant that theatre is an alternative way to bring these characters to life. The Velveteen Rabbit is an engaging, interactive piece of theatre adapted brilliantly by Jake Linzey .

The thing about The Velveteen Rabbit is its a proper story. It isn’t a silly little tale where a woodland creature learns it’s alphabet or how to peel a banana. It’s a play about a little boy who loves his toy rabbit so much, he thinks he’s real. When, as with all toys, the little rabbit is eventually thrown out (a genuinely sad moment), the toy rabbit suddenly becomes a living, breathing real rabbit. These characters – the velveteen rabbit, the silk horse, the nursery fairy – are all represented by absolutely charming puppets created by Jake Linzey. They are made of materials and move in ways that reflect that they are toys, while the set is a colourful representation of what a nursery would actually look like, with a simplicity  that makes it easy to adapt for this or that setting. The moles are a little less imaginative as sock puppets, but this is only disappointing because sometimes the actors’ mouths are moving when their hands aren’t, which isn’t a problem with the rest of the puppets.

The company of Backhand Theatre all inhabit big characters which have the right degree of animation for a children’s show. Jonathan Ashby-Rock is very sweet and absolutely like a stroppy little boy, and Katie Don-Hughes has a gentle, bright tone as the rabbit. Guiding the audience through it all, Shereen Roushbaiani’s expressions are big and smiley, perfect for children’s theatre. Her interaction with the audience can be a little pantomime-like, but when she comes into the audience it is obviously exciting for the children and a lovely touch, even if it can be hard to get the desired response without a large audience, as the children can be shy.

The Velveteen Rabbit is very much a show for kids, although a lot of adults will know the story. And call me a big kid but I found it very enjoyable myself, and could appreciate its maturity as well as its cuteness.

*** – 3 Stars

The Velveteen Rabbit is playing at C eca until 27 August as part of the Edinburgh Festival. For more information and tickets, see the Edinburgh Fringe website.