Anna Burnside reviews a ‘delightful’ production for children.
A man in a comedy rain cape is struggling with a map. After several minor disasters, it transpires that the voluminous waterproof is actually a tent and he is on a camping trip.
All is going well until he opens a bag of crisps. A bird - actually clothes peg on a line stretched across the stage - wants a crisp. Make that the whole bag.
Andy Manley, one of the most talented creators of theatre for children, is the master of object theatre. These pesky peg birds refuse to give him a minute’s peace. They hide in his turban after he washes his hair and even figure out how to order more giant bags of crisps.
This is a delightful piece of theatre for three-to-six-year-olds: charming, funny, completely understandable even for the younger end of the audience. It was first made in Japan - all the salty snacks are Japanese - and relies on a vocabulary of heughs, yelps, sighs and shoo to tell the tale.
There is even a moral to the story. Be careful what you wish for, kids, even if you are only dealing with clothes pegs.
Pekku performed at Zoo Southside and was part of this year’s Made in Scotland season. Its run has ended.
Photo by Mihaela Bodlovic.
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