Rip Fold Scrunch 2011 press

• The Stage

      

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Review

The Stage
Susan Elkin

Wednesday 20 April 2011

This appealing show for under-fives is almost language-free as three black-clad, childlike adults play, imagine, dance and sing on a papery white set. Shreds of paper become a baby, a bull's horns, a mask, a swimming pool and a cello-playing puppet among other things. Eventually the set is stripped to reveal dramatic primary colours on which audience members are invited to play at the end.

Indian dance is the inspiration for a lot of the movement work and, bell anklets rattling and full skirt whirling, Kathak dancer Jesal Patel gives a delightful performance. She ranges from sad to exuberant and her animalistic hand movements, copied by the other actors, are fascinating.

Lithe Maria Thomas sings in a clear voice and is good at effortless management of tiny audience members who stray on to the set. David Fitzgerald provides unusual but appropriate music and sound effects on a cello which almost becomes a fourth actor. Its spike is so long that Fitzgerald can play his jazz, suspense music, downward glissandi for sadness standing up and, seated at the end, Bach while the children play.

This is sensory theatre at its best. There is plenty for young children to see, listen to, touch and feel. And congratulations to the cast for their calm aplomb. You can't work with toddlers and be fazed by anything they do - including picking up bits of the set and throwing it at you.