The Dream Factory is a children’s production by House of Stray Cats, a London based theatre company creating immersive works using puppetry, storytelling and movement. It’s supported by Little Angel Theatre’s FIRSTS, a development platform for new works in puppetry and visual theatre.
The director is Greta Clough, a past Associate Artist at Little Angel Theatre, the music is composed by Paul Mosley and the beautiful puppets are made by Maia Kirkman-Richards.
The show is the tale of Sophie, a young girl who has lost her ability to dream and embarks on an adventure to discover where dreams are made. Along the way she meets some weird and wonderful creatures including a spider, an elephant and some sparkly fishes.
The puppets are worked by three skilful puppeteers, Maia Kirkman-Richards, Katriona Brown and Nicole Black, dressed in pyjamas to match the bedroom theme. They move smoothly around the stage, lifting and carrying the set and the puppets as Sophie’s journey progresses. They engaged well with the young audience, bringing the puppets up close and making us all feel part of the adventure.
The set is beautifully designed; boxes and drawers open to reveal new puppets and materials as Sophie moves from her bedroom to the weird and wonderful places where dreams are made. The words are few in this show; music and visuals are used to tell the tale, making it easy for children to follow and use their imagination.
The Dream Factory is fifty minutes of imaginative storytelling with puppetry, music and song. Encourage your little ones to sit at the front so they get the best view and can get up close to the puppets.
Reviewed by Rhiannon Evans
