Although there are several new productions of fairytales cropping up every year, this production of Red Riding Hood takes a different approach by adding in songs to make it a family-friendly musical that’s perfect for Christmas. With energetic performances from all the cast and catchy songs, Red Riding Hood is a really fun performance that you’ll walk out of smiling.

The storyline stays fairly close to that of the original fairytale, following Little Red into the forest on her journey to Grandma’s house. On her way she encounters a sinister-looking wolf who persuades her to lend him her red cape and then runs ahead to her grandmother’s house to capture and eat her. On Little Red’s way she meets William the Woodcutter, a very forgetful character who joins her on her journey. When they arrive at Grandma’s house, she isn’t looking quite herself. They soon realise that who they thought was Grandma is actually the Wolf in disguise. Certain parts of the original story have been altered slightly to make it more child-friendly, such as Grandma’s escape from inside the Wolf, but this is to no disadvantage and ultimately gives the story an even happier ending.

The play is formed of a small cast of five, but this does not result in a lack of energy. William the Woodcutter (played by Matthew Jay-Ryan) and Little Red (played by Nazerene Williams) are particularly strong, staying animated for the entirety of the performance and even when not delivering their own lines. Matthew Barrow’s take on the Wolf is certainly a different one as he plays the role in a simpering way rather than in the obvious guise of threat, but this is really effective as it becomes in equal parts comical and sinister as the audience is aware of the Wolf’s real intentions. The humour in the play is cleverly suited to both adults and children, with William the Woodcutter’s forgetfulness making the children laugh, but also throwaway comments that will bypass children but be appreciated by the adults in the audience. Making such a well-known story into a musical was a wise choice, as children can instantly identify with the story, and the inclusion of songs makes the whole piece more energetic – I heard several children walking out singing the songs at the end of the show. The set (designed by Set Free Projects Limited) and staging used in the show is also very effective, with a backdrop of patchwork trees and origami animals and flowers – it is simple but reminiscent of a children’s picture book, which is fitting for this production. Moments in which there are three scenes happening at the same time add to the drama of the piece as we see Little Red trying to get to her Grandma’s house, Grandma being trapped by the Wolf and Mother worrying about where Little Red is.

Some of the humour becomes a little repetitive for the adults in the audience, but as the show is clearly aimed at children this can be forgiven as it was obviously appreciated throughout by the children in the audience. I also wasn’t sold by the Mother’s transformation into a wolf (played by Holly-Anna Lloyd) – admittedly it is difficult to adopt a new role midway through a performance, but it was obvious that it had had less attention in rehearsal as it didn’t seem very well-developed.

Red Riding Hood is an energetic, family-friendly show that combines a familiar fairytale with new songs that children will be singing for the rest of Christmas.

Red Riding Hood is playing at the Pleasance Theatre until 3 January. For more information and tickets, see the Pleasance Theatre website.