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The Cat in the Hat
Coventry Belgrade
*** THEODOR
Geisel’s children’s book, written under his pen name Dr Seuss, has its
60th
birthday in 2017 and despite heading towards pensionable age it still
has a certain charm and a remarkably silly storyline. But don’t
knock it, young children love silly such as a talking fish, a
mischievous talking cat in a hat who introduces all manner of magical
and madcap games and strange creatures Things 1 and 2 – and all creating
a magical, mad world while mother is out. The book was
a response to concerns about literacy in US schools and uses just 236
easy to read aloud and say words, describing the lively illustrations by
the author - even the title is based on the first two words Geisel found
that rhymed. Its success
means it is still popular and much loved today as a beginner’s book in
helping youngsters to read and open up the wonderful world of
literature. This National
Theatre stage version, first produced in 2009 has the aim of introducing
young children to the equally wonderful world of theatre. Adapted by
Katie Mitchell and directed by Lille Collier, in general it succeeds in
a riot of movement, colour and endless simple rhymes, which any parent
of grandparent will know is a delight of small children. I wonder if
anyone has counted the number of words real and invented children have
devised to rhyme with poo for example. Thus we had a hardworking cast of six, full of
enthusiasm, playing the two children Sally and her brother, bored to
tears on a rainy day too wet to play out, have a mysterious visitor, a
cat in a hat, who cheerfully sets about creating mayhem – much to the
dismay of the rather staid, stuffy fish in a bowl – or a teapot when the
cat expands even his . . or her world beyond the glass. Throw in bubble
machines in the roof sending clouds down into the audience and three
huge balloons thrown into the audience,
Slava’s Snowshow
style, and there is plenty to keep young minds enthralled amid the
rhymes, physical jokes and rapid changes of direction at the hands of
the cat The real test of success for shows for children
3+ though is not what adults think – they are not the target audience –
and the real customers were quiet, attentive, with little fidgeting and
no chattering, no regular exodus to the toilet, clapping along or
shouting responses when asked and cheering and applauding at the end.
And that, in the world of children’s theatre is a hit. To 31-10-15. Roger Clarke
29-10-15
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