My first Nutcracker of the season, and what a lovely one to set the mood for those to follow: this one is for five- to twelve-year-olds, but it’s a show that will delight all ages. I do see some oldies without children in tow…
The theatre auditorium is bedecked with lights (lighting designer Joshua Pharo), the stage (set and costumes Sam Wilde) with cardboard boxes—what are they all about? We soon find out, but not before being entertained and warmed up by The Cheesy Five band (I think that’s who they say they are…) in blue tuxedos and mouse ears. And they are cheesy, trust me. It’s a collaborative evening, which co-musical directors Clare Beresford and Dominic Conway and director Alex Scott, who have been together for some time now, have off pat.
On guitar, accordion, xylophone, tambourines and rattles, “Jingle Bells”, “Jingle Bell Rock” and more, in the jazzy style of the Andrews Sisters… so the Narrator explains to the receptive audience with wit and charm. The multi-talented company has us immediately in their magic storytelling spell. Immersive and engaging: there are singalongs, and Mexican waves are encouraged.
Why those marked boxes—the family have just moved house. It will be Fritz and Clara’s first Christmas since their mother died. Dad Wilhelm has bought a derelict, mouse-infested, dirty, dusty house for them. And the plumbing doesn't work. Lots of poo jokes: mistaking mouse droppings for raisins gets a big laugh, and then there’s the huge torpedo from the blocked toilet. I’ll say no more. Fritz is allergic to dust.
The Sugar Plum Fairy (Shamira Turner in regal pink suit, pink handbag and scarf a delightful turn) is trapped in this neglected house—she needs joy to be able to move on… She doubles, brilliantly, as another apposite character, but I won’t spoil the fun—see if you can guess who.
There’s an evil, greedy, multi-headed Mouse King (in big white Y-fronts)… The children squabble, the usual sibling stuff, breaking the Nutcracker their lovely Aunty Drosselmeyer (Caroline Partridge, also Elder Mouse) has brought for them. And what do they have for her? Dad has to think fast. Phew.
Magic shrinks Fritz (Dominic Conway) and Clara (Lakeisha Lynch-Stevens) to the size of tiny mice. How do we know that? The cheese Aunty has brought gets bigger as they shrink. But they need help—we are their eyes and ears—yes, this is panto. Are we good mice? Then we can stay. Children, caught in the moment, often have no filter on what comes out of their mouths. But the performers have to be good at leading them on.
The cast plays beautifully off them and each other, especially Conway and Beresford (Narrator and Mouse King). I guess some of them must have children of their own, for they are well and truly on their credulous wavelengths.
This sort of spontaneity requires quick timing. Simple devised theatre, role-play any child can identify with, but musical skills, great voices, rapport, slapstick, corny jokes, shadow play and a Nutcracker car blazing towards us may look easy but... and multiple roles require multiple accents. I love accents, don't you—especially Sugar Plum’s Northern one.
It's a cosy, relaxed evening: two thirty-minute halves easy to swallow along with the ice cream and snacks in the interval. The Polka theatre is a magical place full of colour and kindness. The burghers of Wimbledon are very lucky to have it. It’s worth travelling across London to visit.
Little Bulb theatre company has been in existence since 2008 and I can’t get enough of it—must be the deprived child in me... It was their Orpheus of 2013 that put them on the map for me—I think I saw it three times. I’ve also seen some of their children's shows with my then tiny progeny.