Being greeted and interacted-with by Goldfish the Dog (Clare Kerrison) certainly gets the kids on the floor comfortable in the Tararua Tramping Club space – so when the show starts they are very ready to volunteer unsolicited information and opinions to the cast. Kerrison, Annica Lewis, who plays the titular Jessica Bo Peep, and Gareth Tiopira-Waaka, who plays Tom the Taniwha, handle it all so well it seems pre-supposed this would happen.

A small pen has corralled two sheep (Dolly and Derek) and two lambs (Sean and Lambchop) and when Jessica goes off to see what Goldfish is barking bout, a black-hooded figure sneaks in and steals the stock. Thus the quest to find them is set up – and soon it’s Jessica herself who is lost.

Her encounter with Tom the Taniwha engenders gently explored themes about making premature judgements, feeling pressured to live up to expectations even when it doesn’t feel right, and the truism that when you try to protect yourself by being fearsome and a bully, you end up alone.

The legendary taniwha of Wellington harbour,Ngake and Whātaitai, are properly acknowledged before it is revealed that Tom’s mother, Nettie (Kerrison) – who emigrated from Inverness, Scotland, because horrible humans were making her life unbearable – has been trying to get Tom to be scary but it’s not in his nature. Before we get to that point, however, Kerrison puts in another great turn as Puke the territorial Pukeko, using rap to show how staunch she is as protector of her eggs.

More than once Jessica admits to being confused, as does Tom, which is fair commentary on the process of learning life’s abiding lessons. The important thing is that the young audience is with them all the way and the recurring message that “kindness is important” is well placed.

Director Shannon Friday bring a sure touch to the focus, tone and pacing of Amalia Calder’s well-crafted script which includes songs co-created by Amalia and ChrystalynnCalder. Friday is also credited with the excellent costumes, Andrew Loach and Fergus Aitkin with the simply effective set and props, and Bonnie Judkins serves it all well with deft sound and lighting operation.

(The only odd thing is the inclusion of a beehive which seems like either an afterthought or a remnant of something that has been edited out to keep to the required 50 minutes running time.)

For parents and care-givers Jessica Bo Peep offers plenty to reference in the on-going process of encouraging children to discover what works best in their interactions with others. From an adult perspective there is a metaphysical and metaphorical dimension to what Jessica and Tom find out when they are ‘lost’. Plus this production honours the KidzStuff signature style that children can readily replicate in their own play-making. 

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