REVIEW - Antarctica at Battersea Arts Centre

FOUR stars

ANIMALS, adventure, tonnes of imagination and a bit of seasonal magic. Perfect ingredients for a children's show and which can be seen in abundance at the Battersea Arts Centre.

It's Christmas offering, Antarctica, is an absolute delight. It concerns brave explorer Sir Peregrine Falcon who sets out to Antarctica to see if he can find the illusive Owlabear.

What he wants more than anything is to take a picture of this amazing creature which has the head and wings of an owl and the body of a bear.

Along the way he gets snowed on by some mischievous snowflakes, meets penguins and sea lions loses his lunch to some scavenging birds and swims with the fish and jellyfish.

He also encourages the young audience, members of his Explorer's Club, to help him in his quest to see the Owlabear by holding flags, looking after his lunch and map reading.

It is a lovely, hugely imaginative and sweet show in which participation is encouraged and which grips the attention of the young audience.

Alex Scott as the explorer is brilliant and is ably assisted by Dominic Conway and Clare Beresford who between them dress up as the different animals - one of the funniest scenes was them pretending to be sea lions lying on the stage, barking and trying to move around.

They also play the snowflakes and perform hilarious dances as they toss their white paper snowflakes into the air.

It is all set to a selection of beautiful music - both classical and more modern. But the real thrill is seeing the Owlabear who is stunning!

Antarctica is on at the Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, until January 4. Tickets cost £14 for adults and £9 for children. Visit www.bac.org.uk/antarctica or call the box office on 020 7223 2223.

PREVIEW Peter Pan, Polka Theatre

THERE can't be many children who don't know the story of Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up.

The classic story, written by JM Barrie, was originally done as a play before it was turned into a book. Since then it has been adapted many times and translated onto the silver screen as well as for a variety of stage productions including pantomimes.

A stage version is now being brought to life for youngsters at the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon.

And according to artistic director Peter Glanville, it features original songs, puppetry, swashbuckling fun and lots of fairy dust.

"We are always looking for a big classic story to produce around the Christmas period," he says. "I have always loved Peter Pan - it's one of the greatest stories ever told.

"On the one hand it's an incredibly imaginative story, full of pirates, fairies and children that can fly but at its heart there are these incredibly powerful relationships.

"There is an interesting relationship between Peter and Wendy and how that pans out plus we have the bitter rivalry between the pirates and the lost boys.

"They are iconic characters and there is huge potential for spectacle.

"Crucially it also draws us in emotionally so it had all the ingredients for the creation of an exciting show."

In developing the production, which Peter says has taken almost a year to do, there were a few challenges to overcome not least how to make some of the characters fly.

"We could have blown our budget on a massive flying rig but the stage isn't big enough," he says.

"I have a real passion for puppetry and I started to get ideas of how some of the characters could be represented through puppets.

"As a fairy Tinkerbell in particular seemed an appropriate choice, and I thought the snake could be one too, so I got an extraordinary puppet maker in who has created some amazing puppets for us.

"It means we now have amazing flying scenes in the show - it's fantastic."

As well as the challenge of staging the piece, Peter was also keen to update some of the messages within the original story.

"It is slightly dated so I have set it in the 1960s which was a time of change where people were questioning the role of women and bringing the whole idea of being young to the forefront.

"There is also a bit of a Mod look to Hook which has been fun to do and there's even a bit of jive dancing!"

What there won't be is any audience participation except for one crucial scene.

"It's been created very much as a piece of theatre and is certainly not a panto," says Peter.

"However there is a tender scene in the story where Tinkerbell drinks poison Hook has left for her and we see her light fade away.

"It is the only part of the show the actors talk directly to the audience and ask for help to make Tinkerbell better."

And he says he hopes the whole show will grip the young audiences.

"Our challenge is always how we can make the experience as rich as possible for our audience whatever their age - emotionally and intellectually," he says.

"This show is funny, sad, exciting and quite dark in places so hopefully it will stimulate their imaginations and get them asking questions about why the characters act the way they do - why is Hook feeling a sense of anger and why does Peter Pan refuse to grow up.

"It's been incredibly exciting to create."

Peter Pan is on at the Polka Theatre, Wimbledon until Saturday, February 14. Tickets cost from £17.50. Visit www.polkatheatre.com/ or call the box office on 020 8543 4888.

PREVIEW Antarctica at the Battersea Arts Centre

A DOCUMENTARY on how animals live in the remote wilderness of Antarctica has formed the inspiration for a new show for young children at the Battersea Arts Centre (BAC).

Antarctica, which has just opened at the Lavender Hill arts venue, has been created by Little Bulb Theatre company and features slippy-slidey penguins, glamorous sea lions and pesky birds as well as an intriguing creature - the owlabear.

Its artistic director Alex Scott came up with the idea after watching an episode of Frozen Planet.

"We have never done a show for children under seven before but were very excited to be commissioned to do so," he says.

"They are an amazing audience because they really invest and believe in the things they are seeing. It means you can do a lot of exciting things for them and we therefore wanted to make something really special for them.

"We were watching Frozen Planet which featured polar bears and we thought the imagery was so beautiful and the animals and the way they cope with the extreme cold so interesting.

"We found out so much amazing information about the animals and birds who live in the region - it was utterly fascinating and we thought we would love to do an adventure story where kids and their families get to go to the Antarctic."

And so the story began to take shape with Alex and his team keen to bring the Antarctic to life.

It has resulted in a show in which the audience is invited to join the Explorers' Club and to be whisked away on what Alex hopes will be an unforgettable journey.

"We've incorporated songs, puppets and lots of snowy surprises!" he says. "I play the explorer who runs the club. My character is on a mission to find an Owlabear and it becomes a quest for the audience too.

"Along the way we meet a whole array of other animals including polar bears, fish, penguins and birds so visually it's amazing.

"It's quite sciencey and a bit educational but also we wanted it to be funny and magical as well and that's where this mythical and magical creature comes in.

"The kids are very good at seeing it but as the explorer, I'm not so good! In fact I'm very bad at spotting it which is all part of the story."

As well as Alex there are three other actors on stage who between them play all the animals and of course there is the owlabear itself.

And to link in with the explorer theme it's been set in the Victorian era.

"We were all inspired by the exploits of the explorers of that time - such as Scott and Shackleton," explains Alex.

"It's mind blowing because they achieved so much and had a real mission to go out there and discover things. They had a devil may care attitude.

"I'm hoping that because children are naturally inquisitive and curious they will be completely absorbed and inspired - and excited to discover the amazing owlabear!"

Antarctica is on at the Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, until January 4. Tickets cost £14 for adults and £9 for children. Visit www.bac.org.uk/antarctica or call the box office on 020 7223 2223.

PREVIEW Usagi Yojimbo at the Southwark Playhouse

BRINGING the stories from the pages of a Japanese comic book to the stage has been the inspired choice of Christmas production for the Southwark Playhouse.

Usagi Yojimbo is the story of Usagi, a young rabbit who yearns to become a famous samurai like his late father.

The show is based on the award-winning comic book by Stan Sakai and has been adapted for the stage for the first time by Stewart Melton.

"The theatre has been going for 21 years and we try to do something a bit different at Christmas time," says Southwark Playhouse artistic director Chris Smyrnios.

"We don't really do panto and when we do traditional we do it with a twist. So we were keen to carry on that theme this year.

"I was looking through some old comics I used to read and I came across Usagi Yojimbo. As I read it I realised it had all the ingredients that everyone would want for a family show.

"It's not Christmassy per se but it's got a bit of everything in it - animals, action, adventure and a strong moral code - I felt it was the perfect choice.

"The comic has also just celebrated its 30th anniversary and we thought it would be a great thing to do so once we had been given permission to adapt it we set about developing it and creating a story that would appeal to children."

The show is set in 17th century Japan in a world of bandit raccoons, feline ninjas and warring animal clans.

After an argument with his mother the young rabbit Usagi leaves his home, family and friends behind him to train with an old lion sensei, a teacher of the warrior’s code known as Bushido.

However initially, his adventure isn't quite what he thought it would be and eventually he learns what really makes a samurai swordsman.

"It's all about the young rabbit who under the guidance of an eccentric old lion learns about honour and learns responsibility in his quest to become a samurai," says Chris.

"It's very exciting partly because it's such a great story with lots of comedy and pathos, but also because there is plenty of live action.

"It features sword fights as well as some amazing costumes including wigs that turn into ears."

Along with a cast of five, all but one of whom have more than one role, it features a set made out of bamboo, video projection and original live music.

"The projection is fantastic because it is a way of illustrating the story that makes it feels as though you are stepping into the pages of the comic," says Chris.

"It also creates different atmospheres and there are some beautiful pictures which are projected both onto the stage but also the backdrop."

He adds that the show has not been without its challenges but says the result has been worth it.

"It's been a fantastic experience for us," he says. "The challenge was to remain faithful to the the original comic as well as to portray a young boy who gets older as the play progresses.

"We also needed to make him recognisable to those who know him from the comics but interesting for the whole audience.

"I think the team has done a great job and I really believe we have created something really quite special."

USAGI YOJIMBO is on at the Southwark Playhouse, Newington Causeway until Sunday, January 4.

Tickets cost £18 or £16 concessions. Visit www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk or call the box office on 020 7407 0234.

PREVIEW: Cinderella and the Beanstalk - Theatre503, Battersea

IT'S panto season and while many of the bigger theatres in the region are concentrating their efforts on just one story, Theatre503 in Battersea is doing something a bit different.

The Latchmere Road theatre is staging Cinderella And The Beanstalk, devised by award-winning comedy trio Sleeping Trees.

The company is made up of long-time friends John Woodburn, James Dunnell-Smith and Joshua George Smith, all aged 25, and they promise a panto with a twist.

The plot is a good one. A theatre company has booked the venue and they’ve bought the costumes. But, there’s just one problem. They’ve forgotten to cast any actors.

Luckily for all concerned, these boys aren’t the kind of people to let an obstacle like this get in the way so they’re just going to have to play all the parts themselves.

"It is a mash up of everyone’s favourite pantomimes," explains Josh. "We've taken the traditional panto idea and given it a modern twist and part of that has been to pack in as many of the stories as we can.

“Anyone who comes to see the show will recognise all the characters. This time though they all feature in one story - it's quite a hoot!"

The show the boys put on centres on Cinderella who goes on a perilous adventure. The scheming Rumpelstiltskin blackmails the would-be princess to retrieve the coveted golden eggs from the top of the beanstalk in order to recover her glass slipper.

But with Prince Charming, the Fairy Godmother and Jack's pregnant cow all doing their best to get in the way, the delicious, oversized eggs may not be so easy to reach.

With so much to cram in and with only three of them to do it on a relatively bijou stage it has presented the trio with a few challenges.

"This has been the most challenging show we’ve ever done,” says James. “It's a bit out of our comfort zone as we normally don't have any costumes or props and we build the set as we go along but with this show we had to adapt our trademark style a bit.

“There were a few tricky moments in terms of the staging but part of the fun has been trying out different techniques and we’ve really enjoyed the process and bringing the show to life.

“When we were writing the script we actually wanted to bring in more characters but there are only three of us and it’s also quite a small stage. However, because there is so much in it and there are about 40 characters, there is barely a moment when we are still and costume changes have to be very quick!

"It's really funny though and lots of silliness which we love and part of the charm comes from manically having to change costume in a matter of seconds. There's plenty of singing, dancing and fighting that goes on too and it’s deliberately chaotic - although by the end we are exhausted!”

It is the first time the Latchmere Road theatre has put on a festive family show and although John says the trio are really looking forward to it, he admits to a few nerves.

"It's the first Christmas show for the theatre so we are really pleased to be part of that but there is also a certain responsibility to make sure we do a good job," he says.

"For us it’s a new experience too as we’ve never ventured into panto before, or doing a show for younger audiences so we are a bit nervous about it!

“But it’s been great fun devising it and trying to get all those classic stories and characters into one show.

“It’s also been fantastic for us to branch out and do something a bit different and add another string to our bow - we are really excited to see what audiences make of it."

Cinderella And The Beanstalk is on at Theatre503, Latchmere Road from Tuesday December 2 until Saturday January 10. Tickets cost £15 or £12 concession, with a £10 under 16 ticket. Pay what you can Sundays. Visitwww.theatre503.com or call the box office on 020 7978 7040.