The six weeks holiday remain a treat for children and a nightmare for adults as they face the challenge of keeping them entertained. With the outdoors being unpredictable because of the great British weather, the Mercury Theatre is providing a chaotic yet organised alternative and proves to be anything but dull.

Roald Dahl, the author who captured generations of children’s imaginations, sees his 1961 classic James and the Giant Peach come alive in raucous fashion. After a giant peach grows in his evil aunts’ garden, an orphaned James Trotter finds freedom and happiness when he escapes with his life-sized insect friends. The peculiar setting allows the stage to become a limitless space of creativity as a giant wooden peach dominates, and is made a focal point through sound and spotlights.

The camaraderie between the cast, and the dynamics they have with the crew, capture the magical world explored in the book, and the solemn and dark moments are communicated through sound and lighting. The mysterious man that gives James the magic potion is presented with an echoed voice and trench coat, whilst a storm is seen through hues of blue lights, ocean sounds and light from a rotating disco ball. The reactions of the actors are what emphasise these moments, and ultimately the energy they bring to the stage keeps the play light and friendly.

Director Matthew Cullum provides the unexpected to an expected plot as the individual talents of the actors work cohesively. The cast act, sing, play instruments, play miniature puppet versions of themselves, and take on dual roles. The insects are effectively represented through costume as Ladybird wears black and red, Grasshopper wears green with feathers for ears, and Miss Spider dons eight ropes for legs and cobwebbed hair. Lead protagonist James Le Lacheur commits to the role of a young James as his voice and mannerisms of knocking his knees and fiddling with his clothes remain consistent. Through James Trotter, Le Lacheur’s performance will relate to children and teach them how to be courageous. The title suggests that James is the star of the show but the unity amongst the cast allows everyone to shine. Aunt Spiker’s (Matthew Rutherford) wig falling off, mid fight scene, was the highlight of the play as the unscripted moment was handled with such jest; it heightened the pantomime feel the sisters provide.

The interactive nature of the play brings the book to life in more dimensions than the film provides, as the audience are thrust into the action. Children and adults alike will sit in anticipation as a rhinoceros charges through the audience, a news reporter patrols the aisles, and the audience are given the responsibility of saving James and his friends.

James and the Giant Peach might not be Dahl’s most universally known story, but Cullum proves it is equally as fun and imaginative as his other works. Cullum has turned a novel for children into a play for the whole family, as the audience’s participation is what maintains the fast momentum of the performance. Parents will enjoy the intricate details gone into transporting them across the Atlantic Ocean, whilst children will enjoy the interaction (that is even encouraged once the play finishes) and occasional slapstick humour.

Unlike the rain, James and the Giant Peach will leave families wet with laughter as the suitable two-hour running time will help Dahl’s work continue to reach generations to come.

James and the Giant Peach is playing at the Mercury Theatre until 30 August. For more information and tickets, visit the Mercury Theatre website. Photo: Mercury Theatre