Little Angel Theatre is a small theatre in Islington dedicated to the celebration and development of puppetry and live animation. Wow! Said the Owl is a production adapted from the book by Tim Hopgood. Aimed at 2-5 year olds, this show charms young and old alike.
The story follows an owl staying awake during the daytime to discover the colours of the world she usually sleeps through. Beginning with the yellow sunshine, we see the colours of the natural world from the blue sky and green leaves to the angry grey cloud followed by a beautiful rainbow. At the end of the day, the owl decides that the stars in the night sky are the most beautiful of all.
The multi-talented Lizzie Wort performs the show alone. She engages well with the audience and brings the show off the stage and into the auditorium to show off her costumes and the puppets at close quarters.
The simple story is brought to life with puppets, spoken word, song and the clever use of props hidden away in the roof and to the side of the stage to be brought out when their moment arrives.
At just 30 minutes this show is perfect for an audience often too young to attend other children’s shows. The theatre is child-friendly with seats reserved to ensure that small people can see the stage clearly. The children at the performance I attended were captivated by the show. If you have young children in your life, it’s well worth bringing them along.
Reviewed by Rhiannon Evans
Photo: Ellie Kurttz