Hannah Elsy
Short and sweet, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is the latest show from The Little Angel specialist puppetry theatre. Although billed as suitable for ages 2+, it is enormous fun for children and adults alike. The book is based on Michael Rosen’s well-loved poem and has been adapted for the stage by Peter Glanville and Barb Jungr. The appeal of the original story lies in its simplicity, well transposed into the show by the company’s clear storytelling techniques. Simon Plumridge’s set is a life- size ‘Punch and Judy’ proscenium ach, framing the show with a sense of tradition.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt follows a family who, in the spirit of adventure, traverse many different types of terrain in search of a bear. On finally finding one asleep in a cave, they wake it, so that in anger it chases them back home via exactly the same route (across the various different landscapes) they came from. The use of everyday materials to create the various different landscapes the family cross is extremely effective. For example, blue gauze is strung up across the stage and is back-lit to signify a lake, and the apron of the stage is covered in brown hessian sacks to create the impression of muddy ground.
Julia Jeulin and Lyndie Wright have made the ‘family’ of puppets with extreme care. Their faces are smooth and expressive, allowing for any emotion to be ascribed according to the voice and posture the puppeteers give them. In search of the bear, the family pushes their way through long grass, trudges through mud, swims across a river and battles through a snowstorm. The fact that their movements seem almost human is proof of the puppeteers’ talent. The company’s co-ordination in ensuring that all of the puppets are operated simultaneously has been precision engineered, evidence that everyone has worked extremely hard on this show.
As very few words used in the performance outside Michael Rosen’s poem, the audio of the production is lifted by the cast’s performance of live music. In an original score, composed by Barb Jungr, the highlights include a jazzy number describing the ‘squelchy’ sensation of walking through mud, and a melancholic tune about the loneliness of the eldest daughter, as she is lost and alone in a forest
The company are extremely talented, as not only are they excellent puppeteers and musicians, but also excellent performers, exemplified in the moments when they emerge from behind the stage. Their boldness and vibrancy as a collective is perfect for engaging with the younger members of the audience, interacting with the classic ‘he’s behind you’ sketch, and bringing the huge bear puppet into the aisles to menacingly roar at the audience. In the flesh, the performers are just as gleeful as the puppets they manipulate, exuding the same childlike energy. As an adult watching the show, it was extremely uplifting to see other adults completely losing their inhibitions and relishing in the fact they can behave like children again. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is the perfect first outing to the theatre for a young child and is also extremely enjoyable watching for adults.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is running at the Little Angel Theatre until 21 July 2013. For more information and tickets, see the Little Angel Theatre website.