Theatre / axel scheffler
Review: The Gruffalo, Bristol Old Vic
Tall Stories’ exuberant rendition of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s children’s classic is more ‘Crackerjack’ than ‘Wind in the Willows’. But, for every adult craving a little more of the original’s simple poetry, you’ll find a dozen kids hollering at the noisy, fun-packed comedy of it all.
To turn a favourite five-minute bedtime staple into an hour of theatre (and to keep audiences aged three and upwards engaged throughout that hour) is quite a task, and Tall Stories’ considerably beefed-up version includes plenty of song, slapstick and extra dialogue.
The Gruffalo’s short but memorable cast of characters – Fox, Owl, Snake, canny Mouse and of course the purple-prickled terror of the woods himself – are all given an extra personality graft. William Towler plays all three predators splendidly – Fox as a cheeky confidence trickster, posing as Mouse’s benevolent guide around the Deep Dark Wood; Owl as a gruff but friendly RAF type, all bellowed commands and kit inspections; and Snake as a camp, preening Latin lothario, resplendent in diamante jacket and extravagant moustache (fun, not realism, is the name of the game here).
Ellie Bell is hugely likeable as Mouse – timid initially, then growing in confidence as she outflanks each predator in turn – while Tim Hibberd is, in both senses, a massive comic presence as the Gruffalo as well as doubling up superbly with Towler as a kind of comedy chorus line.
Kids will love the fast-paced comedy of gestures, expressions and verbal and physical nonsense, and all three actors are in their element in this comic, physical platform. But there’s enough to keep adults absorbed too – references to Hamlet, Jessie J and, yes, lactose intolerance all delivered with typical aplomb.
For all the dangers of the wood, Donaldson and Scheffler’s book has a quiet joy in nature that this production hasn’t tried to retain – it has, however, added sackfuls of verbal and physical comedy, courtesy of a tight script and an excellent cast. Younger audiences will go away happy, and you should too.
The Gruffalo continues at Bristol Old Vic until Wed 29 Oct. For more info and to book tickets, visit http://www.bristololdvic.org.uk/thegruffalo.html
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