It’s been an incredibly difficult year for the entertainment industry, for obvious reasons, and the pandemic has forced innovations in storytelling when you can’t gather crowds of people in the traditional format.  We watched the National Arts Festival lead the way with a wide variety of on-demand and live virtual content, we’ve seen Zoom performances of every type and a number of other new ways for artists and performers to reach audiences.

The National Children’s Theatre has shown a similar spirit of innovation by opening up its new ‘Imagination Theatre’, an outdoor theatre that promotes the appropriate social distancing regulations while still allowing theatregoers to enjoy the magic of children’s theatre with their families.  I was fortunate enough to attend the festive season show ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ and experience this new form of theatre for myself.

When you arrive, you are sanitized and walk down a scenic path through the trees before emerging into a clearing where the show is performed.  Audience members can choose to lounge on picnic blankets, sit in camper chairs or perch on bales of hay, while the kids enjoy the best seats in the house right in front of the stage.  Great care was taken to ensure the necessary social distancing was in place to keep everyone safe throughout. 

It really is a great concept.

The show itself is a wonderful adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl novel – putting a uniquely African spin on a timeless story of teamwork, perseverance, and ingenuity.  It was an absolute joy to watch the hilarity unfold as Mr. Fox and his friends consistently outsmart the three human farmers who try everything they can think of – but always come up empty-handed.  Using puppets, subtle costume changes, and elegant physical theatre, the cast breathes life into a wide range of characters who each feel as rich and vivid as the next.

As always, the best part about children’s theatre is watching how the kids react, living vicariously through their perspective.  It never fails to surprise me how immersive these sorts of shows are for the young ones.  Even in an outdoor setting with a couple more distractions to worry about, the very talented cast manages to enrapture young and old in a story that will leave you with a smile on your face all the way home.

The music that is performed live and without accompaniment throughout the performance is also a real highlight.  It’s clear that they have worked very hard to get the sound engineering right so that as an audience member, no matter where you sit – your ears are in for a treat.  This is very challenging to do in an outdoor space, so I was very impressed by the final product.  Combine that with beautifully emotive vocals blended in wonderful harmony and it’s simply spectacular.

It’s a wonderful day out for families that delivers pure magic, even with the necessary COVID-19 constraints.  Just the fact that this show is running is a testament to the resilience and innovation of everyone involved.  I really hope that families take this opportunity to expose their children to the joy of live theatre, while supporting the South African arts at the same time.  They deserve every bit of credit – I’m so glad I got to experience what they are building.

‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ is showing at the National Children’s Theatre up to the 23rd of December.  Tickets available at Quicket.