Theatre / alma tavern
The Boy Who Fell in Love with the Stars
At last, a reason to take the kids to the pub for the afternoon. And for educational purposes, too – what’s not to like?
This one-man performance is taglined ‘a bedtime story for the universe’ and it does indeed create just the right tone for a good night-time yarn: both fantastical and calming.
For a start, the likeable storyteller Mark Ashmore is dressed in some snazzy pyjamas, and immediately puts his young audience at ease with his gentle voice.
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As the lights go down, we enter the world of his childhood dreams about flying through the universe, a world which is projected on to a screen behind the actor.
There is a clever interplay between the live character in front of us who is part-man, part-boy, and his onscreen animation. It’s a bit like watching TV, but a lot more wholesome. The most theatrical moments were when the screen acted as a kind of digital set. And there were plenty of giggles from the children when our pyjama-clad hero told off his cartoon avatar for misbehaving and chased him around trying to put him back in a real box.
Adventures have become the hallmark of this Devon theatre company, White Hippos, and they’re jolly good at creating a sense of wonder at the world.
Like any good space story there are moments of educational insight about Hubble and stars, but the strength of this performance is in the whimsy of the storytelling, supported by beautifully simple line drawings, notably the characterful fish Tim.
Halfway through the show we learn that the little boy has achieved all this with the help of his beloved Dad, who knew the name of every star. The child’s father has now ‘disappeared’ out of sight, but the tale does not succumb to nostalgia.
While the plot twist gives the production some further depth, it is not quite resolved, and might leave adults feeling that the narrative has got lost down one of those black holes.
A good one for the under-7s, but at only half an hour, you might feel you’d like a little more.
The Boy Who Fell in Love with the Stars continues at the Alma Tavern Theatre, Bristol until Sat 1 Nov. For more info and to book tickets, visit http://almataverntheatre.co.uk/theatre/what-s-on
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