‘Ha ha!” laughs my six-year-old as a knitted mole pops out of the ground and sneakily drinks a carton of Ribena. There’s a lot of amusement and delight in this lively adaptation of the kids’ picture book Bear Snores On, originally created by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman, and given new life here by co-writers and directors Katy Sechiari and Cush Jumbo (the actor, quite the switch of direction since her last role playing Lady Macbeth).
A group of animals shelter from a storm in the cave of a hibernating bear, and after a short alfresco intro we join them inside, in a specially created space (so actual inclement weather won’t disrupt the show too much). We get there through a tunnel lit up by the LED wristbands we’ve all been given, a nice immersive touch. “That was really exciting. The wristbands were amazing!” says my son Jamie, who’s also very impressed by some UV light effects on the cave walls – designer Rebecca Brower has done a great job, especially on the chunky knitted costumes that give Mouse, Badger and Hare a Central Saint Martins meets Gardeners’ World kind of vibe.
It’s a very characterful cast of creatures we spend an hour with. Ashh Blackwood lights up the room as intrepid explorer Hare; Annabel Marlow’s Badger comes with an East End twang as if she might open a market stall any moment; Albert Graver’s raving Raven is a jungle MC with a taste for hot sauce. “My favourite character was Mouse [Lauren Conroy],” says Jamie afterwards. “She was really adventurous. She wasn’t scared of Bear.”
The show covers some of the classic young children’s book themes: love, friendship and understanding, but also the importance of finding a home, a safe haven, and of sheltering those in need. It easily engaged the audience of young faces (recommended for ages four-plus) and tickled the adults without being too try-hard about it.
Harry Blake’s music is nicely woven into the storytelling with some fun songs – like the one about Raven spicing up Badger’s stew with a few Scotch bonnets. “The show was really active,” says Jamie, referring to the foot-stamping, bottom-shaking, fur-fluffing bear dance everybody bopped along with at the end. He grins: “It was fun!”
• At Regent’s Park Open Air theatre, London, until 21 April.
