Nottingham Theatre Royal – until Saturday 1 July 2023
Reviewed by Louise Ford
3***
Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce…
I’m sure everyone has a childhood memory of Winnie the Pooh, whether it’s the Disney film or the original books, written by A A Milne. This new musical production created by Jonathan Rockefeller uses music by the Sherman Brothers with some additional songs by AA Milne. It is a Rockefeller production with ROYO and in association with Disney Theatrical Productions. The show is touring the UK during 2023.
The production uses puppets to bring the story and characters to life. Everyone skips, hops or bounces onto the stage . The puppets are attached to the actors who merge seamlessly with their characters. The actors worked very hard and manage to convey the distinctive characteristics of each of the well loved characters. From the puzzled Winnie the Pooh wondering where his friend Christopher Robbin is or where his next pot of honey is coming from, the nervous Piglet, the melancholic Eeyore, the exuberant Tigger, the bossy Owl, the excitable Roo and caring Kanga to the irritable Rabbit they all make an appearance.
The set is deep in the hundred acre wood and starts with Christopher Robbin searching for Pooh. The air is full of birds, butterflies and most importantly, bees.
The storyline is a little confusing, it loosely follows the seasons. It includes snippets from the books and the Disney films; Pooh sticks, pots of honey, bouncing and Eeyore looking for his home, it just doesn’t hang together very well. Having said that I’m not sure any of the excited audience minded at all. They just loved the excitement of Tigger teaching Pigglet to bounce and of course singing along to The Wonderful Thing about Tiggers. It’s a gentle introduction to the world of theatre for all young children. So get ready for an early years adventure to the theatre.