When we came to watch The Lion Inside this morning, it wasn’t a relaxed performance, but the atmosphere made you feel like it was. From the moment we stepped through the main doors, we were made to feel welcome.
We quickly picked up our tickets, got a drink, and were welcomed at the door as we went into the studio theatre. We took our seats at the end of the row just before the performance started.
The Lion Inside is based on a bestselling book by Rachel Bright and Jim Field, and has been adapted for the stage and directed by Sarah Punshon. It tells the story of a little mouse who is shy and lacking in confidence and goes out in search of his roar.
The show opens with a cricket puppet, deftly operated by Clarke Joseph-Edwards across the stage. This was the start of a really entertaining hour.
It is a really lovely and engaging story and easy for children to follow, with the bright colours and entertaining cast. There are some hilarious bits in it for kids to have a giggle – watch out for the hippo that thinks he’s found a quiet place to poop!
The ballad that mouse sings about feeling ignored and forgotten had a touch of Chicago’s ‘Mr Cellophane’ about it, and was excellently delivered by James Keningale, who switched between the puppet versions and himself playing the mouse.
The staging for this is just perfect, the warm colours depict the hues in the Savannah, where the lion is king, and in a clever twist, this lion is modelled on the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis. Caitlin Mallory is excellent in the role and has the perfect singing voice. The harmonies between the three actors are excellent.
There are plenty of moments for the children – and adults – to join in, too. Poppy happily practiced her roar, and shouted out at the appropriate times throughout the show, showing her claws and clapping along.
The way the puppets move and the story unfolds is just like stepping inside the book. The staging is very visual, and the different perspectives on mouse’s home for example were delivered so well. This really kept Poppy’s attention.
As we left the theatre, I asked Poppy what she like best about the show and she said the mouse.
Poppy’s verdict
★★★★★
There are show warnings that this show contains haze, some flashing lights and some louder moments, but Poppy coped really well with them as there was a build up to them each time. If you want a full relaxed performance though, there is one available.
British Sign Language Interpreted: Thursday August 8, 2024, 1.30pm
Audio Described: Sunday August 11, 1.30pm with Touch Tour from 12 noon
Relaxed: Saturday August 10, 1.30pm. Click here for Curve’s Relaxed Performance pack
Captioned: Saturday August 10, 1.30pm
