The Tiger Who Came to Tea is a roaring success when it comes to entertaining its young audience. This is no mean feat. Young children are a tough crowd.
Nevertheless fifty minutes of fun-filled frolics are provided by David Wood and the UK family theatre company, KW and NB Ltd.
The book, The Tiger Who Came to Tea was written and illustrated by Judith Kerr more than 45 years ago and still sells today. It tells of a little girl, Sophie, who is having tea with her mother when a Tiger turns up and guzzles the lot.
Director and adapter Wood has taken the popular children’s book and turned it into an engaging show with songs, dance and timely audience participation.
Matthew Dudley is a giant success as the comic relief in his roles as Daddy, the Milkman, Postman and particularly as the Tiger.
Abbey Norman is a diminutive and delightful Sophie and Jenanne Redman is an animated Mummy.
Together the trio keeps its child audience enthralled much to the delight of parents and other adult caretakers.
The Tiger, of course, is the highlight of this theatre piece. Costume Designer Susie Caulcutt deserves special mention for her terrific Tiger costume which dazzles with its orange, black and white fur and stunning head. It is Dudley who then brings the Tiger to life without uttering a word. He struts, prances and generally engages his pintsize audience throughout his time on stage.
This quaint and quirky show deserves the rowdy audience that it gets and makes the most of it.
Arts Centre Melbourne presents KW & NB Ltd’s
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
Adapted for the stage by David Wood OBE | based on the book by Judith Kerr
Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse
Dates: 2 – 18 January 2015
Bookings: artscentremelbourne.com.au
Melbourne Reviews
The Tiger Who Came to Tea | KW and NB Ltd
- Details
- Stephanie Johnson
Most read Melbourne reviews
Entirely sung through, this is a musical with a proper and original score that still feels remarkably fresh and sits in staggering contrast to the slot machine pay outs of a Jukebox musical.
Just like the source material, this is a morality tale, a fantasy to reflect dysfunction, rectify disappointment and repair disillusion but legacy and intergenerational grief are tenacious task masters.
LaPaglia is simply outstanding as a salesman bartering down his own price. Believable, present, committed – every indignity is expertly handled, never demonstrated but achingly and authentically realised.
Oneiric stands out as one of the best NICA graduate showcases in memory. The show is a true fusion of contemporary dance with circus skills.
It’s hard to follow the exact story, but that doesn’t really matter, as Crystal is more about enjoying familiar circus acts recontextualized within a bevy of ice dancers and stunt skaters.
More from this author
Miss Peony | Belvoir
Miss Peony may be to the Australian Chinese, what ‘Wog Boy’ was to the Australian Greek co...
Now playing Melbourne
| Faulty Towers The Dining Experience @ Oaks Melbourne on Market Hotel |
This Old Vic Production by Jack Thorne gives the Muppets a run for their money.
Just like the source material, this is a morality tale, a fantasy to reflect dysfunction, rectify disappointment and repair disillusion but legacy and intergenerational grief are tenacious task masters.