12/9/2023 0 Comments Goldilocks three bears coronetShe wakes, sees the bears, jumps out the window, and fall to her death-never to be seen again. The bears come home, and discover the old woman asleep. She eats the little bear's porridge, breaks his little chair, and falls asleep in his little bed. A little old woman-"an impudent, bad old Woman"-enters the house during the bears' absence. One morning, they take a walk in the woods while their porridge cools. They each have a porridge pot, a chair, and a bed. and a Great, Huge Bear"- live in a house in the woods. Battersea Arts Centre has a pleasing “relaxed performance” ethic, which is good when tinies get bored (though there’s little chance for that in this show) and need to be taken out.Three male bears-"a Little, Small, Wee Bear. The costumes are works of art in themselves, none more so than Alice’s split personality blue pinafore dress blended with a Red Queen of Hearts outfit. Lampshades become mad hats, porridge bowls are turned into helmets and a wardrobe becomes a portal to all manner of worlds (take that, Narnia!). ![]() Set and costumes (Zahra Mansouri) are creative and awesome, with moveable furniture able to transport viewers from South to North Pole, Wonderland through the rabbit hole and a backpack pocket. Director Kerry Frampton holds the reins, seemingly working on the basis that the barmier the better and the result is a happy ever after story that makes Shrek look like Andy Pandy. All of the audience are drawn in to participate somehow and the trio all manage to handle any reaction from young watchers. It might be a show for children but there is no playing down to anyone. So relentlessly engaging and entertaining are they that adults are more than likely to want to see their touring shows for the older audience during the year. The three work together exceptionally well, showcasing to stunning effect their surreal, physical and pacey comedy credentials. Dunnell-Smith is an innocent but feisty Goldilocks, while Woodburn is a truly wicked Alice as well as channelling Hugh Jackman extraordinarily well to play the singing Snowman on a hunt for a carrot to give him a nose. Smith has more than an air of Christopher Biggins to him, “eggshelling” at playing a cracked Humpty Dumpty and others with an impish glee. ![]() Writers James Dunnell-Smith, Joshua George Smith and John Woodburn are an indefatigable trio bringing it all to life magically and confidently, aided by composer and performer Ben Hales, about whom we learn some fascinating facts which may nor may not be relevant to the unfolding drama. Indeed, it’s a very well-crafted plot which – like good pantos – has plenty to appeal to the children yet remembers there are also adults wanting to be entertained in the audience. The story shoots off in many directions, yet never loses its way. Along the way to saving the day Goldilocks meets a host of well-known characters, from a remonstrative Mad Hatter (fresh out of tea-hab), a BFG reduced to size, a musical Greatest Snowman, singing elves and boyband Musketeers. Within minutes the fairytale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears gives way to an imaginative saga in which an evil Alice (now Queen of Wonderland) has stolen the happy endings from lots of familiar stories, embittered by the fact that she doesn’t get a decent conclusion to her own book but just wakes from a dream. The insane Goldilocks and the Three Musketeers is the third Christmas show of its kind from Sleeping Trees and it’s worth trekking to Battersea Arts Centre to catch this energetic, daft and delightful production. ![]() “absurdly nonsensical but utterly brilliant – and definitely a case of all for fun and fun for all!”Ī madcap mash-up of popular stories becomes a seasonal rib-tickling romp in the hands of a talented trio who could have walked straight off the set of The League of Gentlemen. Goldilocks And The Three Musketeers Battersea Arts Centre Reviewed – 4th December 2019
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