Shakera Ahad is one of the busiest puppeteers we’ve seen at Islington’s Little Angel. We’ve barely settled into the theatre’s patchwork-covered pews and she’s already up and down the aisle, giving out feathers, passing around a cuddly owl, blowing bubble mixture and gently bopping a giant balloon over our heads. As my two-year-old daughter Hilda tickles her own nose with a feather and big sister Aggie (six) looks in vain for the last unpopped bubbles, the show begins.
Directed by Samantha Lane, Let’s Fly is a co-production by Little Angel and Goblin and is a spin-off from their other autumn show, Emily Rising, the tale of a girl who floats away from her family during her parents’ divorce. While Emily Rising is meant for ages seven and up, this show is billed as suitable for ages two to six though I think that’s pushing it a bit. Hilda’s the one who really enjoys it.
Let’s Fly shares the same heroine as its companion show and reuses three of its Emily puppets, designed by Alison Alexander. Aggie excitedly points out that Ahad is dressed to match the puppets – same orange T-shirt, same green trainers, same hair bunches.
The opening minutes are a hit with the children as Ahad makes fun from the simplest of means in a game of “can it fly?” A sheet of paper is produced and dropped gently to the floor, then gets turned into an aeroplane and then gets ripped to pieces. Soon, the children are handing over their feathers which Ahad clutches in her hands as she attempts to take flight herself. When the first Emily puppet is brought out, and sent high into the sky holding a bunch of balloons, Hilda isn’t the only child who says she wants to play with them.
Older children are likely to inquire why Emily is able to fly, and indeed want to know more about her as a character. But if the set-up feels frustratingly thin, there’s a string of jolly encounters once she’s airborne. Ahad produces a series of lumpy clouds with their own personalities: one looks like a cranky man and another comes with its own raindrops, at which point Hilda pulls up her hood. Emily rides a seagull (“yuck,” we all agree) and umbrellas are opened to create a makeshift jungle canopy. A chatty parrot is popular with the front row and a pair of oversized red gloves become crabs for an underwater scene.
Emily’s journey includes a stop-off in London, with recognisable landmarks including the Gherkin featured in the set. It’s a shame that, to convey the hubbub of the city, we hear recordings of mainly rude and agitated voices. London is a fun place for kids as well as an overwhelming one. Mind you, pretty soon the Gherkin turns into a rocket, shooting stars appear, and a hula hoop and balloon magically transform into a planet.
At 40 minutes, the show flies by. It’s plenty of fun but, unlike some of our other trips to the Little Angel, we don’t quite leave with our heads in the clouds.
- Let’s Fly is at the Little Angel theatre, London, until 20 November. Box office: 020-7226 1787.
