Guest Review by Local Mumblers, Jo & Rebecca
The brilliant Tutti Fruti children’s theatre company have created a wonderful, funny, warm and engaging take on the classic moral tale of the Boy Who Cried Wolf for York Theatre Royal. The hour-long performance had the children gripped the whole way through.
If you are a fan of the famed story, or a fan of the theatre, or even if you’ve never tried a live show with your little ones before, you really cannot miss this fantastic production. It is an absolute delight from start to finish and with a duration of one hour, it was perfectly timed for children aged 3 and above.
A beautiful show was performed by three distinctive and talented performers, who had the audience enthralled from the moment you entered the Studio at York Theatre Royal. A great feature of this performance was the immediate interaction with the actors as we found our seats, which enabled all ages to feel connected and involved in the performance. Look out for the Knitters as you enter!
Howling wolves, competitive knitting villagers, snowy mountains and some hilarious dancing sheep come together in a lively performance that includes live music and some clever stage props to tell the story of a young boy who is forced to take over from his Grandfather as the family shepherd and tend to his wayward flock. The boy, freezing on the mountainside while the villagers below celebrate the winner of the winter jumper competition, inevitably cries wolf and the rest is history – albeit without any gory endings. The stage set is clever and simple and the music, snow effects and frequent costume changes are excellent.
The three actors seamlessly switched roles from villagers to the anticipated family of the story, to very entertaining sheep and the dreaded wolves – the latter subtly so as not to frighten little ones (to our great relief!).
The clever wool themed and artistic scenery and attractive colourful props coupled with beautiful lighting effects helped to cast illuminations, shadows and shapes to enhance the atmosphere.
Then there were the songs: multiple catchy singalong originals, not only sung in three-part harmonies but with the performers using a variety of delightful instruments. This was a treat for the children who stared in wonder and tapped their toes along happily. What a talented cast they are!
Truly engaging for little ones and adults alike, there were visual treats and colourful surprises right up until the end.
Spoiler alert: Look out for the hilarious sheep dancing and antics which had us laughing out loud!
The Boy Who Cried Wolf is staged in the Studio Theatre – with only three rows, the setting is lovely and intimate with guaranteed good views from all seats. It’s not an audience participation show, so there’s no danger of being picked on if you’re sitting on the front row.
The children were mesmerised throughout. We had been a little concerned about whether they would sit still for an hour’s performance, but one of the great ‘mum reliefs’ about a performance like this is that the audience is relaxed; children do talk and sometimes they shout things out and need the toilet and ask for a cuddle, and it’s all okay- no one minds. Any little interruptions certainly didn’t deter these three fantastic professionals who charmed us with their tight and constant performance of song, dance, witty impressions and a beautiful interpretation of a well loved children’s story. They certainly did it proud!
Jo rounded up by saying:
“If you’re looking for a special treat for your little one this autumn, I’d highly this modern reworking of the well-known Aesop’s fable – it’s ideal for children aged 3 and above. Funny, clever and highly entertaining; make sure you catch it while it’s on!”
And Rebecca said:
“I would rate this with a full 5 glowing stars and strongly recommend it to all Mumblers. Quality theatre productions like this should reach all our little ones and become treasured memories for them. Get your ticket quickly as you really don’t want to miss this treat for the eyes and ears!”
For more information and to book tickets visit the York Theatre Royal website here.
For more Mumbler reviews of the attractions in and around York visit the Mumbler Review section here.
NB. Jo & Rebecca were gifted tickets to the Press night of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, but all views are their own – we pinky promise that we always provide honest reviews to Mumblers 💜
