There was a time not so very long ago when all children’s holiday shows preached a green message. Now, if the three latest offerings* are anything to go by, there’s nothing environmental to get in the way of an updated traditional story, lots of laughs and plenty of audience participation.

Rachel More’s delightful panto-like take on Thumbelina is one that Hans Andersen might find difficulty in following what with a reality TV show on Pond TV called Hop On In, a royal wedding to increase Pond TV’s froggy ratings and a fisherman who picnics with a glass of Pimms and cucumber sandwiches. There’s also a French prince called Francois who doesn’t turn into a prince when kissed but leaves you with slimy lips instead.

However, Deirdre (Paul Harrop) asks the fairies to help her attain a child who of course turns out to be very small. Her problems are the fairies: Spinky (Anne Brashier) who belongs to a fairy trade union (no household chores and no kissing of frogs), and Madge (Bryony Skillington) who would much prefer the romantic name of Tinkly Winkly.

At one point Thumbelina (Emma Draper) wanders off against the instructions of the fairies and at the first performance a member of the audience walked on to the stage and quietly and very seriously told Madge that she knew where Thumbelina was. Bryony Skillington, paused for a second, and saved the show by gently replying that if she told everyone the show would be over and thanked her as she guided her back to her seat to much applause.

Michael Nicholas Williams’ songs are great, the fun infectious and the story line, while a bit of a muddle at times, provides lots of activity for the audience to assist in the storytelling.

*See also Pirates! and The Three Little Pigs and a Really Cool Wolf. 
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‘Adorable’ sighed Madge the fairy as a particularly observant and helpful child from the packed audience went to the front of the stage to tell the fairies exactly where they could find Thumbelina. As Madge pointed out, that would bring the show to an early end. Bless.

Thumbelina has been adapted for KidzStuff by Rachel More and she brings in plenty of references for parents as well as just what the kids want – a fun story, lots of silly costumes and voices, plenty of opportunity to get in on the action, and of course, some magic. The crowd was attentive and extremely well behaved to the point of reprimanding Thumbelina when she started thinking about wandering away from her flower.

Madge the fairy with attitude (Bryony Skillington) was a crowd pleaser (and Cassie’s favourite), and Emma Draper’s Thumbelina was delightful. Paul Harrop’s Dame-esque Deirdre was a scream and he was particularly tested by the quick changes demanded by the script. Anne Brashier’s officious Spinky the fairy and the Frog Queen who was obsessed by fame and worried about falling ratings for her family’s reality TV series, were both great fun.

Simon Vincent kept the pace just right for the littlies, and came up with an inventive solution for ‘shrinking’ characters – remembering that Thumbelina is the size of her adoptive mother’s thumb. Excellent holiday fare.
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Rachel More has ingeniously updated this tale from Hans Christian Andersen (not mentioned in the programme). The central premise remains: a woman unable to have a child appeals to the Fairies to help her; she plants a special seed as per their instructions; a flower grows and from its centre a tiny daughter emerges (who would be more fascinated by this imagery, Freud or Yung?). No bigger than an adult’s thumb, she is dubbed Thumbelina.

The fairies conjure it up from the past as a story to be shown rather than told. Madge (Bryony Skillington* in full Cockney flow) is a happy-go-lucky motivator of audience participation, except she hates her name, wanting it to be more Twinkly Winkly. Spinky (Ann Brashier on work experience from the USA) is a stickler for process and the sub-sections of relevant regulations.

Deirdre, the would-be mother (Paul Harrop in drag again) is clearly ready to love a daughter, although she does have a pet tiger called Monty too (roars off; a subplot that goes nowhere). In this version Deirdre isn’t there when, helped by the audience, the flower grows and the tiny child is spied.

A spell is used to make Thumbelina (Emma Draper, all innocence yet inquisitive and self-willed with it) big enough not to be trodden on by her mother, and she is told to wait there, not to wander off and not to talk to strangers.

At this opening performance the children – clustered on the floor at the front, away from their parents – are vociferous in their demands that the bored and adventurous Thumbelina must stick to the rules. Nevertheless …

In place of Andersen’s Ugly Toads, More has given us a Royal Family of Frogs who star in their own reality show – Hop On In – on Pond TV. The talent-scouting Frog King (Skillington using an “outrageous Froggy accent” this time) decides Thumbelina is ideal for the bride he and his fame-aholic Frog Queen (Brashier, all image conscious) need for their son Francois (Harrop). Or rather what they really want is to contrive a Royal Wedding episode because that will be great for their ratings.

Much is made of Francois not being the sort of frog who becomes a handsome prince when you kiss him; he just gives you slimy lips. But he’s a nice bloke all the same and doesn’t want to get married any more than Thumbelina does, so they both escape together except she can’t swim …

A lily pad and little fishes – courtesy the children’s fingers – bring her safely to shore where she chums up with the visually impaired Moley Moleington the Third, out on a picnic …

Meanwhile Spinky and Madge are trying to find Thumbelina – and at this point, at the opening show, frustrated at the production’s discursive comic diversions, a girl in the audience marches up to the stage and declares, “I know where Thumbelina is!” Madge replies, “If you tell us there won’t be any more show, but thank you, you’re adorable!” to audience acclaim (well done Bryony!) and the girl returns happily to her possie.

In hindsight they could have channelled her knowledge in the magical process they use to discover Tumbelina is at Mole Holland Drive – where, having dined well, she gets the kids to help with the dishes. (The regular participation of the audience in physical activity, which stops them getting restless, works well in this show, not least because most of it is crucial to the progression of the plot).

The Fairies find her, reunite her with Deirdre – who comes down to her size by way of gaining a whole new perspective on life – and we time-travel back to the start, which is after it all happened. A final song and dance to complete the 50-minute show.

With music composed by Michael Nicholas Williams, the songs are excellent. As sung by this cast, with some lovely harmonising, ‘O How We Love to be Famous’, ‘A Picnic is Always a Treat’ and ‘The Shimmy Shimmy Wave’ could all do well on a kids’ CD.

Director Simon Vincent could work with his cast to bring more light and shade to the show’s texture and pacing, and I’m sure that’ll happen once they relax into it – not that their alert and active audiences will let them slip anywhere close to complacency.

Once more KidzStuff delivers a lively, witty and involving update of an old folk tale in a way that is sure to inspire kids to re-enact it or make up their own plays throughout the holidays. That is a good result.
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*Kids may recognise Bryony as Kelly in Emu on TV2, 3pm Monday – Friday.
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