Spaceships rumbled, lions roared, fish smacked their lips – and that was just the audience. Onstage were cream pies, water pistols and 101 squeaking, groaning, clicking, splashing, whirring and popping props, each one a surprise hiding in brightly colour boxes.

This happily chaotic school holiday show is aimed at age 8 and under, and Sarah Somerville, a woman of many hair ribbons and (metaphorical) hats – writer, director, producer, actor – knows her market. She creates an immediate, natural rapport with the children as their tour guide Olive Olsen (her name surely a homage to the After School host of an earlier generation) and ensures the children shout out from the start. [More]
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The bright playroom style set scattered all about with colourful boxes, includes a number of microphones for the purpose of recording the narrative and sound effects for the live broadcast of the top-rated long-running children’s radio programme, The Bubbles and Mustard Show. 

Sarah Somerville is hyper-cheerful Olive Olsen (I’m old enough to get the local beloved children’s presenter reference; anyone born post-80s will probably compare her to Mary-Kate and Ashley), who is guiding the audience on a behind-the-scenes tour of same popular kids’ show. 

Unfortunately, the well-meaning Junior Junior Assistant Production Manager’s Assistant Ed (Tama Jarman) has accidentally incapacitated the entire cast and crew with undercooked chicken.  There’s nothing else for it but to go ahead and record today’s episode themselves, with the surly help of pompous, easily flustered would-be aristocrat, station owner Maximillian Montgomery III (Julian Wilson).

Calling the shots, Maximillian narrates, Olive plays Mustard the smartest mouse in the universe and Ed plays Bubbles, the happiest fish ever, as they embark on a thrill-ridden escapade at the circus.  A few commercial breaks occur during the chaotic ep, where the makeshift cast gets to regroup and prepare for the next segment.  Despite of the sound-oriented scenario, there’s plenty of spectacle and zany acrobatic slapstick for our visual amusement.

The story, ‘Bubbles and Mustard at the Circus’, is a lot of fairly typical fun, with its animals and contraptions and tap-dance obsessed elephants et al.  Of course, the key entertainment comes from all the ingenious methods of sonic creation to represent the plethora of characters and sounds throughout the tale. 

The children/tour group clustered at the foot of the stage are frequently called upon for help with various effects, and they are certainly into it – never once at the debut show did they need to be told to do anything again louder.

The visionary Somerville (playwright/director/Olive/set and costume design) has a really good idea going on here.  The various parts where I could imagine some enhancement or additional gags are testament to the myriad possibilities contained within the concept. 

As is, thanks in large part to the excellent cast, Bubbles and Mustard is a most worthwhile family chuckle these holidays.
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