Yahoo Finance The Smartest Giant in Town review: Fairy tale return for Little Angel Theatre
Any theatre re-opening at the moment is a cause for celebration and none more so than the Little Angel in Islington, which is celebrating 60 years of entertaining young audiences.
They have made a very clever habit of putting on shows based on Julia Donaldson’s best-selling books and it is obvious why – her songwriting roots shine through all her stories making them ideal for reading and singing out loud while Axel Scheffler’s instantly recognisable illustrations are perfect blueprints for puppets.
This show takes her rather simple fairy tale style story of the scruffy giant who discovers clothes don’t make the man and embellishes it to good effect with new songs and even a burst of a golden oldie – where else would you hear ‘compliant’ rhymed with giant, or see a Fox singing a Cliff Richard tune?
The cast of three do wonders with the puppets with a family of homeless mice transformed into backing singers at one point and a brilliant simple giraffe – which does not extend much beyond a long neck – among the stars of the show.
The simple set works well with prop changes passing by almost unnoticed as the songs performed by puppeteers Lizzie Wort and Gilbert Taylor continue uninterrupted.
Special mention should also go to Duane Gooden, who on one of the hottest days of the year stomped around the stage for three-quarters of an hour in a giant-sized head. That’s commitment to your craft.
To August 15, Little Angel Theatre
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