Civic Theatre, Barnsley – 4th October 2023
On a National Tour until November
Reviewed by Carol Crann
5*****
Honestly, I had no real idea of what to expect when I was asked to go and see this performance, especially with it being billed as a ‘multi-sensory’ theatre production. It has been produced by Concrete Youth, a charity who describe themselves as being ‘dedicated to enhancing the lives of people labelled as having profound and multiple learning disabilities through cultural provision’. I have very limited understanding of the issues faced by those labelled as having PMLD, so knew this was going to be an education for me too.
I walked into a room filled with the calming sounds of birds singing in the jungle, subdued lighting and a set designed to look like a colourful jungle scene – the multi-sensory part was already in play. The actors, Ewan S Pires (Turtle), Laura Kaye Thomson (Bird) and Finn Kebbe (Monkey) were already interacting with the audience as I arrived, and it was obvious from all the smiles that this was a real source of joy for all. From some of the comments it became immediately apparent that they had already been introduced to some the characters, and were now eagerly awaiting the performance.
Makaton was used throughout the play, and the audience quickly became part of what was happening – each one welcomed by name to the show, which I thought was a lovely touch. When the puppets re-emerged the wonderment of the crowd was clear, and their appreciation took various forms as they were encouraged to pat the Rainbow Bird, interact and stroke the Turtle and receive a hug from the Monkey. All this was accompanied by relevant noises both for the animal and also for whatever action was taking place. There were squeals of delight as the stage got covered in a blanket of bubbles, and as you can imagine these continued as the very willing participants joined in with the puppets trying to burst them all. Multi-sensory? You bet. Everyone was engaged on so many different levels, so it definitely held up that end of the bargain.
The story unfolds as the three friends suddenly find themselves homeless, men in yellow hats coming to chop down the trees and ruin their habitat. As they begin to rebuild their forest abode we’re taught that home is actually where your friends and family are, not a physical location – a lesson so pertinent regardless of age.
Frankly the whole performance was an absolute pleasure – the excitement on the faces of the audience made it abundantly clear just how much they were enjoying the puppets, the songs and the music. The cast were not only talented actors and accomplished performers, but also extremely able to quickly build a rapport with a very diverse audience. Personally I couldn’t stop smiling throughout the performance at the sheer glee of it all.
It was a real privilege to have been allowed to be part of this unique event, and I can only encourage anyone who cares for someone with PMLD to take them to see this fabulous show.