The promotional material for this show gives a pretty good indication of the KidStuff company’s stock in trade: "From the producers of The Princess and the Pea & Jack and the Beanstalk…"  This is standard community-hall kids’ fare, recycling the classics over and over again, adding in musical numbers and the odd gag here and there for the grown-ups.  The formula is well-tested, and it’s a safe bet for parents and caregivers who pile their tots into Redbrick Hall in droves and park them up on the mats in front of the stage.

So, you all know the story of course- "I’ll huff and I’ll puff" etc.  This is the full-length version with the turnip digging, apple-picking and country fair episodes, adapted for the stage by Sarah Somerville.  It’s not exactly modernised, just spruced up here and there with some topical banter and a cameo appearance by Henny Penny (Felix Preval) as a shrewd real estate agent.  The second act (with the turnips, apples, etc.) flagged considerably, plodding through the episodic narrative with only a stream of ‘wacky’ characters to provide dramatic energy.

Most of the dialogue is fine and funny, but I personally am sick to death of seeing hip-hop breakdowns in kids’ shows.  To me there is a sort of uninspired middle-ground between original works and classical shows, of which the ‘piggy rap’ is a prime example.  This kind of genreplay often doesn’t work for the children, and isn’t really that funny for the adults, thus diminishing the overall dramatic potency of the show.  It’s a case of Keep It Simple, Stupid, and demonstrably so, as basic gags like the wolf falling down the chimney into a teapot provide much more hilarity than, say, the cooking show by Lion, Tiger and Wolf.

Still, on a purely functional level there is much hilarity to be had, and the massive crowds of children were well served by the ebullient cast.  Felix Preval stands out as the Wolf – the pantomime villain played to the hilt and with a lean, hungry physicality.  Mel Dodge, Martyn Wood and Gene Alexander play the pigs and a multiplicity of other roles with zest.  This kind of pantomime theatre is hard graft for actors; everything has to be larger than life and played with a huge grin.  After the show the cast lined up at the entrance of the hall to greet their audience and they looked absolutely exhausted.

My companions were a 2 year old and a 4 year old, and were probably a bit too young to really connect with the performance.  The 4 year old was afraid of the wolf before the show even started and found the whole thing rather an ordeal, and the 2 year old was more interested in trying to throw himself off his seat.  Yet both lasted the distance and were chatty about the show afterwards.  I’d say the show would suit best 4-7 year olds; for younger pre-schoolers there is probably not enough beyond the text to engage them and keep them attentive.

All in all the show is a totally viable school holiday activity that kids will enjoy.  It’s a bit overlong and low on wow-factor, but hey, it’s The Three Little Pigs, not Cirque De Soleil.

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