Little Red Riding Hood’s Christmas Adventure
★★★★☆ Upbeat
Assembly Roxy: Sat 16 – Sat 23 Dec 2017
Review by Natalie Walker
Think Christmas and think kids and you think panto – but not anymore. It’s not all about the dames and double entendres, thanks to Nonsense Room Productions.
The creative team behind the hugely successful stage show Hairy Maclary & Friends has brought Little Red’s Christmas Adventure to the stage in the Capital. And it’s a ho ho whole load of fun.
Zoe Halliday as Little red with Stanley. Pic: Simon Beattie
This original festive musical for children sees our heroine, Scarlet, on a musical quest for the magical Christmas cloak before the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve.
We spend an enchanted and exhilarating hour watching – and hoping – the teenager’s dream will come true. On her adventure she meets three other comic characters including wacky Walter the Wolf, the sassy Squirrel, Stanley.
While Walter goes between trying to be her best friend and wanting to eat her up for his festive treat she makes Stanley her side kick and best friend, presenting him with a necklace which belonged to her late mother – eaten by a wolf who may well have been Walter.
Zoe Halliday plays Scarlet and is the glittery festive glue to the show. She is rarely off the stage, her innocence and good humour are the perfect mix to keep kids of all ages entertained. She tells the story in an easy to understand and upbeat way that keeps the young ones captivated.
cheeky sense of humour
Paul Beeson is the man in black operating Stanley the squirrel, with his sweet American accent and cheeky sense of humour. He helps his new found best friend on her adventure and attempts to combat his fear of climbing trees to save the day. He has some great one-liners, notably about how social media now rules all our lives.
Zoe Halliday. Pic Simon Beattie
Beeson also plays Scarlet’s grandfather – who looks uncannily like Santa Claus – who helps guide her on her way. Seeing him in his white beard and sack brings whoops of delight from the younger members of the audience.
But it is Gilchrist Muir as Walter the Wolf who really steals the show. He is a wee bit scary for the young ones when he first slinks onto the stage with his fierce laugh and wily ways. But everyone is soon captivated by his banter. When he “accidentally” keeps knocking a sign the wrong way he has the young ones in hysterics and Muir handles all the heckling with fun and sharp replies. It was clear he went off script for a bit and really enjoyed the dialogue with the children.
Lighting is used to great effect with the scarier parts using flashing lights and darkness – for mere moments, but enough to keep the young audience hooked on the show and intrigued to find out IF Walter would really ever eat our heroine.
The set – which centres around a forest – is simple but effective with large trees used to good effect. The music is infectious and fun – some is played live but the audience claps and sways along throughout.
A lovely way to see a traditional tale brought to the stage with a touch of Christmas sparkle – ending with a festive song, sung with gusto by everyone.
Little Red’s Christmas Adventure is ideal for the 3-7 age group but suitable for a whole family audience.
Running time: one hour (no interval)
Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU
Saturday 16 – Saturday 23 December 2017
Sat 16, Sun 17, Say 23: 11am & 2pm; Mon 18 : 10.30am (cancelled), Tue 19: 4pm; Wed 20: 10.30am; Thurs 21: 10.30am, 4pm; Fri 22: 2pm, 4pm.
Tickets and details: www.assemblyroxy.com.
ENDS
