Where Can I Borrow A Small Person?

I enjoy children's theatre and I just wish I had a little person to adopt for the afternoon so that I didn't stick out like a sore thumb. I did find myself listening to their reactions as they left the theatre to double check that we were on the same page. Could have done without sitting through the piece twice, as it was basically the same show, just the one for younger children omitted the "scary" storm. 

Since 2009, children’s theatre company Gobbledegook has been creating works which cleverly fuse physical theatre and interactive video installations. Its latest work, In A Deep Dark Wood is a majestic tale which follows a young girl’s journey into a mysterious wood, where she encounters playful shadows, dancing trees and a fair few creepy creatures. This piece intertwines contemporary dance, digital projections and audience interaction. 

A group of under-eights sat cross-legged on the floor of the Lillian Baylis Studio, patiently watching dancer and choreographer Olivia Quayle’s contemporary solo. Audible gasps were then heard as a miniature version of Quayle’s silhouette suddenly appeared on a white screen behind her mirroring her movements. Quayle interacts with and responds to her playful shadow’s actions in a sequence that that was reminiscent of the scene in Peter Pan where Peter attempts to catch and reattach his shadow. The use of technology was impressive throughout; my personal highlight was when Quayle’s fairy like ‘mini me’ was balancing on the life sized Quayle’s hand secretively whispering in her ear. It was often during these moments of stillness where the clever use of digital technology was most effective. 

The promised interactive element of the piece manifests itself in the form of two ‘magic cushions’ which were placed amongst the children. At various moments during In A Deep Dark Wood these magical cushions lit up, their luminous glow acting as a cue for the younger members of the audience to swish their hands over them. The cushions added a tactile element to the performance, but also allowed the children to actively engage with the action as their movements corresponded with what was happening on the large white screens onstage. For instance, at one point, their fast hand movements helped to wipe away the monster which was chasing Quayle’s character. The magic cushions are a clever and unique take on audience participation and I think this is a concept that could be explored further to create a multi-sensory experience for the spectator. 

Gobbledegook has created two variations of this piece, one is a tailor-made version for two- to four-year-olds called Deep In The Woods, whereas as In A Deep Dark Wood is aimed at the slightly older demographic of five- to eight-year-olds. The shows are largely similar in content and the only major difference is that Deep In The Woods doesn’t contain the loud ‘scary’ storm. This is charming and enjoyable production whose clever use of technology creates a piece that feels like a digitalised version of a fairytale.