“The Toymaker’s Child” at Chickenshed – 29/11/23

But from there I hopped on a 307 bus, which is unusual because it has the same flooring as our lounge:

Barnet has all the home comforts.

Anyway, it was all very efficient and got me from desk to theatre in just over an hour. Time to relax with a coffee and wait for the show to start.

In case you’re wondering, yes I was flying solo. Eva’s seeing the show with school next week and Roo is busy with his GCSE homework (sob!) so it was just me. Most peculiar to be at the Shed childless.

Childless is not a word you’d use to describe this production tho. There are a lot of kids in the cast…. around 200 of then, in fact and that’s only one cast of a rotation of four. I have often marvelled at Chickenshed’s ability to wrangle huge casts and this was no exception. From the first crowd scene, where the townspeople sing about the new toy in town, the spectacle is incredible. Every time we visit, the production values seem to be better and better. This modern retelling of Pinocchio has neon artwork, TV news screens and a human size 3D printer. And that’s only in the first few minutes.

The story starts in a traditional fairytale style with a toymaker who decides to make something new to keep his isolated child company. And as in all fairytales, the child’s mother is dead before the story begins. Of course! This sets the scene for a distinctly untraditional twist as the something new comes equipped with Artificial Intelligence and a desire to explore the world. Off she sets and so the adventure begins.

If this is reminding you of that other Pinocchio tale about AI, then you’re not alone. But don’t worry – it isn’t nearly quite so harrowing as that one.

It is emotional though – I fear a little for Eva watching it without me next week as there might not be anyone to give her a hug when she wells up. And Chickenshed, as ever, manages to evoke all the feelings as their trademark inclusive cast sing and dance to tell the story of someone trying to work out just what these things called feelings are. Courtney Dayes was superb as PIN:0cch10 and really nailed the movements and tone of a robot, which gradually becoming more humanlike. Beatrice Afhim as Katy – the titular child –  kept pace throughout, which is impressive for a young performer. Her singing voice was a little more fragile than Courtney’s but it really suited the character well and she was beautifully expressive.

Lots of familiar Chickenshed faces popped up – some in more supporting roles, such as Ashley Driver as news anchor Mike in a series of hairpieces and Lucy-Mae Beacock as an “Augmenter”, signing along with the dialogue and sometimes busting out a few dance moves as well. Special mentions go to Bethany Hamlin, for making us love a singing alligator and the wonderfully creepy villains played by Cara McInanny, Demar Lambert and Will Laurence (on rollerskates!). The three of them were clearly living their best lives being terrible people and their Fagin energy really gave the show a bit of edge.

But Chickenshed is, at heart, about the ensemble and there’s a kind of magic that happens when the stage is flooded with people of all ages and abilities working together in choreographed madness. It’s hard to take it all in as everywhere you look, there’s something new going on. The dances were sharp, the group songs were on point and the sound balance was good, which might seem like an odd thing to comment on but it’s a hard thing to achieve with so many people singing at once.  Some of the songs are more simple and poignant – like “I Forget to Breathe”, sung by the Toymaker and others are joyous and uplifting, like “Dance in the Rain”.

I mentioned the production values briefly before but they really were another level throughout the show. There was a brick alleyway that projected out onto the stage and acted as a conduit between scenes in a really effective way. The  main space transformed itself into a funfair, a harbour and a school seamlessly and there was detail everywhere. I have no idea how the stage management pull it off, wrangling so many cast members and sets that are getting more complex by the year…but somehow they do. It worked incredibly smoothly.

It’s not a Christmas show, as such but it has everything you’d want in a Christmas story – heart, friendship, family and a fair bit of peril. The audience around me were made up of many different ages and all seemed to enjoy it, from the very vocally appreciative Scout pack to the couple next to me who’d come to support a friend of their daughter’s. It’s recommended for Age 5+ and I’d say it was good for all kids of that age and up. You never know, I may even report back on Eva’s thoughts once she’s seen it next week.

I know I said that this was an ensemble show but I just wanted to single out one last person for a mention. Unfortunately, I don’t know the young man’s name but he was at the front for the Unschool scenes and gave such an energetic performance that I couldn’t help but watch him. I think he had “No 1 Loser” on his back (it makes sense when you watch the scene). Anyway, he was full of joy in his dance moves and really brought a smile to my face.

“The Toymaker’s Child” is on until 13th January and is booking now. Click here for tickets and more info.