It’d be a small exaggeration to say everyone in the English-speaking commonwealth who hasn’t lived the last forty odd years under a rock knows this mad tale from the Elvis of silliness Mr. Spike Milligan, at least pretty well if not inside out. 

I’m not sure if I’ve ever met anyone who flat-out doesn’t like the famous literary original; a perennial favourite despite being full of clumsy writing and particularly contrived climax (perhaps written in an attempt to corner a Christian market?).

It is ingenious, unbridled fun and only the most bitter curmudgeon would even bother to deride the book for such trifles as spelling, grammar and justified narrative. Throughout his career Milligan broke the rules, or at best disregarded them, to greatly charming effect and that anarchic approach is heartily embraced by playwright/director Tim Bray and company’s production these holidays. 

Being known off-by-heart already by so many parents and children alike, a good deal of entertainment comes from the delightfully artistic theatrical solutions devised to represent such eclectic dramatis personae as two children, a cow, a tree-goblin, a worm, a witch, a giant, a scrappy little mouse and his best friend a giant eagle, among others (including God!).

Johnny Hair and Chloe Lewer play child protagonists Tim and Rose with an abundance of requisite energy and wide-eyed innocence. The rest of the cast valiantly performs multiple roles apiece, with such distinction that at least a few children must be surprised when a mere seven players take the curtain call. 

There’s none you’d want to miss among them, but highlight characters are Courtney Chittenden’s laconically ruminating Lucy the cow (assisted greatly by one of numerous gorgeous costumes from prolific designer Vicki Slow) and Donogh Rees’s scrappy Dinglemouse who admittedly has many of the best lines. 

My son Loki particularly liked the dopey multi-optic Dulboot, played by the already tall Regan Taylor on stilts, and the perfectly despicable Badjelly herself by comedy character extraordinaire Julian Wilson.