On Saturday, we were invited to Z-arts in Manchester to watch Twinkle Twinkle. Read what our reviewer Leanne Parker had to say aboutthis lovely family show...

Devised by the TouchedTheatre company, directed by Anna Newell (An attempt to talk with the beginning of the world; I Am Baba; The Sound of Things;littletinySPACE) and with a story written by Beccy Smith (Founder of TouchedTheatre), Twinkle Twinkle tells the story of Marty the Dog, who simply adores playtime and spending time with his Daddy. There are two things that Marty clearly does not adore; bathtime and bedtime, or, more specifically, being left alone in the dark at bedtime.




The Puppet of Marty, created beautifully by Annie Brooks (Artistic director of theatre company, Colossal Crumbs) is full of life and fun, and has a personality all his own. He is delightful to watch and so cleverly crafted with love, that he is just so adorable that I believe every family wanted to take him home with them. I know I did!

The score, composed by Foz Foster (Me and the Sea, Human Remains, Blue), is utterly gorgeous! It is calming and relaxing and creates a beautifully wonderful atmosphere around the performance space before, and throughout the performance. It perfectly brings to life in auditory form, that lovely feeling as you drift off to sleep. The addition later in the performance of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’, which the children join in with using little bells they have been handed, really did make for an emotional and magical moment that brought everyone together, strangers sharing a lovely moment with each other and their children. The score brings to life the power that music can have over an audience and is perfectly executed from start to finish.

The story is performed by Darren East (The Gift; Little Monster; The Smugglers!; Cunning Little Vixen) and Fagner Gastaldon (Land of the Dragon; The Memory Keeper; Fix Freddie) who are present on stage from the arrival of the audience right through until our exit. Their performance captivates every audience member, from the youngest to the oldest from start to end. As the audience arrive and take their seats, which are mixture of soft cushions on the floor, low seats and more traditional seats further back, they throw small lights to each other, which magically disappear and reappear. These two are the warmest, most welcoming, and gentle performers you could imagine. They engaged their young audience (and the not-so-young ones) throughout. You can’t help but warm to them immediately and throughout as they capture the essence of the simple story using their movements and their faces to wonderful, enchanting effect.

The moment Marty emerges slowly and playfully from a laundry basket, the younger audience members are transfixed and throughout the 25-minute performance, they bask in sheer delight at his antics as he skilfully attempts to avoid his bathtime, refuses to sleep when his Daddy tries to leave and demonstrates a feeling of nervousness and fear that many of them will relate to themselves. He doesn’t want to be alone in the dark – and let’s face it, nor do most of our littles. This sweet and simple tale is without doubt, my favourite theatre experience with my three-year-old son thus far. Designed for little ones aged 1-4 years, this is a difficult age range to cater for, but the gorgeous music, clever use of lights, interesting set design, brilliance of the puppetry and the absolute charm of the performers kept almost all of the children entertained, including my own little wriggle-bum, who doesn’t like to sit still, but who snuggled in, barely moved and giggled his little heart out. Watching him, watching this performance brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eyes. I think the light show of stars and that community rendition of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ tipped me over the emotional edge!

Twinkle Twinkle makes you feel like you’ve been wrapped in a gigantic warm hug with a little bit of magic thrown in. This really is a perfect introduction to theatre for little ones and felt just a little bit extra special at Christmas time.

WE SCORE TWINKLE TWINKLE...



Twinkle Twinkle is on at Z-arts, Manchester until Saturday 31st December 2023.

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