Goodnight Mister Tom at the Belgrade Theatre

[dutchman]

Goodnight Mister Tom: Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Until Saturday. Running Time, 2hrs.



I’M not sure whether there really has been an upsurge in interest in children’s theatre, or whether a recent run of great shows for young people (The Gruffalo, Hansel And Gretel, Matilda) is just a coincidence.

What is certain is that the newly-formed Children’s Touring Partnership’s first production, an adaptation of the Michelle Magorian novel Goodnight Mister Tom, is a triumph.

The partnership must have some inkling that there’s a future – both artistically and financially – for high-quality productions like this aimed at junior school children and their parents. And judging by full house and the audience reaction on the first night in Coventry, their confidence is justified.

But touring a play like this, with young teenage children in lead roles, and the associated problems of chaperones and tutors, isn’t something to be embarked upon lightly.

All the more reason to applaud David Wood’s play, which tells the story of a schoolboy evacuee who heads away from his difficult life in London at the start of the Second World War to live with an elderly widower in a sleepy Dorset village.

As the action unfolds both the boy and the man discover how love and friendship can help them overcome their problems from the past.

Jack Butcher is a suitably fearful young William who gradually emerges from his shell, while Oliver Ford Davies gives a truly memorable performance as old Mister Tom.

Ethan Beer almost steals the show as William’s precocious theatre-loving pal Zach, while puppeteer Laura Cubitt and her dog Sammy add a clever and unusual extra dimension to the play.

I took along my lively nine year old daughter and DS-loving seven year old son, and despite the gentle pace of the story, they were enthralled thoughout.

Let’s hope this is the first of many Children’s Touring Partnership productions, and that they continue to attract much-needed Arts Council cash.

Rating * * * *

Review by Bryan Jones