REVIEW: Tidy at Sherman Theatre
This gentle tale from Polka Theatre and Theatr Iolo is a real charmer.
Based on an illustrated book by Emily Gravett, Tidy aimed at kids aged three to seven and lightly introduces ideas about the natural world around us.
Our hero is a badger named Pete, who likes everything around him in the woodland to be tidy and neat. From the flowers and leaves, to the stones and his friends, fox, rabbit, and mouse.
A shock lies in store for Pete, when he gets swept up in his own compulsive tidiness, which forces him to adjust his values and embrace just a little chaos.
Enchanted young faces lined the front benches of the Sherman Theatre, admiring some energetic and imaginative puppeteering of a badger, hedgehog, and owl.
A powerfully evoked underwater scene particularly impressed my daughter, as did the silly humour.
The music, lighting, props and sound help to transport the story as much as the script.
Tidy takes us travelling through the seasons from autumn and winter, before ending in the hopeful springtime, with our characters reunited, frolicking in the blossom and gorging breathlessly on a worm-heavy picnic.
Watching the show in mid-February (Saturday 15), enduring a doggedly grey and cold British winter, this show feels astutely judged in both its timeliness, and the deft treatment of its subject-matter.
A pragmatic warning about the fragility of our environment is sensitively delivered to a young audience with fun, silliness, charm, and hope.
We watched Tidy in English, with sign language. Taclus is performed in Welsh at other performances. Following a short-run at the Sherman Theatre, the show goes on the road for a four-week tour. You can find tour dates and ticket info here.
Review by Mark Hawkins
Photos by Kirsten McTernan
We received free tickets for this performance in exchange for an honest review
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