York Grand Opera House – until 2nd August 2023
Reviewed by Alex Sykes
4****
Winnie the Pooh is a short and sweet show and is perfect for introducing children to the theatre.
The characters of the 100 Acre Wood are brought to life on stage in the form of puppets and after a few moments it is easy to ignore the humans and just focus on the puppets. Winnie the Pooh and all his friends are there, including Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger.
The set is part of the 100 Acre Wood and features a tree with a bee hive, Rabbit’s garden and a little stream, perfect for playing Pooh Sticks.
The main story that runs through the show is Pooh bear is looking for some honey to have as a snack because Christopher Robin has gone off to school. In Pooh’s world a whole year passes before Christopher Robin returns, and this is shown by Pooh and Piglet getting caught on a blustery day, snow falling in the 100 Acre Wood and the bees returning in the spring. Throughout the show Pooh and his friends go on an adventure, including helping Eeyore look for his house, Piglet trying to get honey straight from the bees and Tigger and Roo accidentally destroying Rabbit’s garden.
There are a few downsides to the show in that the microphones don’t pick up everything that is being said and the height difference in the characters can be off putting. Rabbit is a lot taller than Kanga and Tigger but in the films the three are of a similar height.
All in all a brilliant show which will capture the hearts and imagination of children everywhere.