We have a bit of history with this particular production. When I received the invite, I had a weird feeling of deja vu and when I checked back, my suspicions were confirmed – we were due to go and see this at Little Angel in March 2020.
Reader, we did not. We did pick up a copy of the book at Little Angel when we went to see The Paper Dolls in February 2020 and, as I was dithering over Eva really would be brave enough for it as a very sensitive 7-year-old, lockdown fell. Now, there was no question – as a just-11-year-old she’s not much braver than she was before but she does think that all canids are adorable and that includes wolves.
First though, we had work to do. It’s the 6-monthly cleaning day at church and if we left home early, we could squeeze in some token leaf-sweeping before the show. However, Essex Road was closed and so we had to walk the last bit which meant we that our leaf-sweeping was very token indeed. We then walked the next bit to Little Angel as there were no buses but it’s only half a mile and it was a lovely day for a walk. Especially cutting through the very scenic Asteys Row rock garden:
So the show had a three year build up and that’s a lot of expectation. Did it meet those expectations? I’d say so. The description warns that “there is a slightly menacing atmosphere which builds up throughout the show” and it is definitely one of the darker shows I’ve seen at Little Angel. Whether your child is troubled by this will be influenced by whether they consider the wolves to be beautiful doggos or not and Eva certainly did. As soon as the wolf puppets burst out of the walls, she burst out into coos of adoration even though they were toothy and evil-looking.
I’m getting ahead of myself tho. The story starts by establishing Lucy and her family – her jam-making mother, tuba-playing father and obsessive video-gaming brother. Each of these characters has a song to introduce themselves and their motivations, none of which involve believing Lucy about the wolves living in the walls. All of them give her the same cryptic warning tho – “if the wolves come out of the walls, it’s all over”. Helpful parenting at its best.
I liked the use of the screens as the walls, with yellow wolf eyes projecting through as Lucy slept. There was also some use of silhouettes to create the feeling of being watched. It was creepy but not terrifying although younger kids might find it tricky (the age recommendation is 6 plus)
The Wolves in the Walls at Little Angel Theatre 2023 cast – Photography by Dan Tsantilis
In some Little Angel productions, the humans interact with the puppet character but in this show, the puppeteers took more of a background role, allowing the puppets to really take centre stage. As ever, the ensemble worked smoothly to change scenes and make the puppets move around the set but the story was all told through the puppets rather than the humans behind them.
The first half of the show was a slow build of suspense but then it took a turn towards comedy when the wolves burst out. Eva was laughing hysterically as the wolves donned tutus and did ballet and acrobatics. She wasn’t so happy when the humans fought back and biffed the wolves on the nose…but she will always support the canids over the humans. She also thought the wolves were better tuba players than the humans.
The Wolves in the Walls at Little Angel Theatre 2023 cast – Photography by Dan Tsantilis
There was plenty of tension – like when Lucy was trying to rescue her precious pig puppet from beneath a sleeping wolf – but lots of lighter moments too. I liked the use of antique maps and graphics as the family discussed where to move to (tho I’m pretty sure there are wolves in the Arctic Circle). It was a really visually pleasing show and there always seemed to be something to catch the eye. Eva had to reassure me that the music score would be OK after the wolves go to it tho (spoiler: it wasn’t)
The Wolves in the Walls at Little Angel Theatre 2023 cast – Photography by Dan Tsantilis
So, a fun show that combines dark tension and slapstick comedy which will entertain your mid-aged kids – I would agree with the age recommendation. And watch out for a twist in the last few minutes….
“The Wolves in the Walls” is on until 23rd July. Click here for more info and tickets.
Disclaimer: I received free tickets in exchange for a review. All opinions remain honest and my own.
