11 April, Montgomery Theatre
A lively, fun-filled hour of children’s theatre, I caught the latest production from Odd Doll Puppetry in the pleasant surroundings of the Montgomery Theatre. The Worried Walrus is centred around an animal beauty contest, a setting which gives the company full licence to showcase its wonderful puppetry to the max. Rebekah and Kathleen, our central puppeteers, dive around the stage with their creations to dramatic and humorous effect, their enthusiasm and exuberance as much of a part of the production as the puppets themselves.
The script doesn’t always hit the high notes as often as the puppetry, and a few jokes fail to land their mark in that difficult middle ground between adult and children’s humour. When the show flies though, it soars. The panda bear is cool, the flamingo is superb, and an underwater scene where the stage is lit up with luminous jellyfish and eels is an absolute delight.
As ever with such productions, the resolution is a moral message to appeal to our good nature. In this case, it’s what’s inside that counts. Thankfully for the Worried Walrus and Odd Doll in general, what’s inside is well worth your time.
Words: Phil James
Images courtesy of Odd Doll Puppetry
