By
Sophie Charlotte Thomas*
As soon as
I arrived at Scottish Youth Theatre, I could feel the energy and excitement
bubbling from all the little children outside the Edwin Morgan Studio. I
couldn’t help but wonder how their energy would be contained throughout the
production.
As soon as
the doors swung open and two enthusiastic storytellers burst out welcoming the
audience, my previous concern disappeared. Each child was captivated by the
actors’ animated voices and faces. As we were led into the studio, which can
only be described as a treasure trove of colourful props and costumes, the
children were instantly drawn into this imaginary world
The simple
story of Mr Higgins, his cat and some mischievous mice who liked swimming in
soup (a past time which I suspect will not feature in this year’s Olympic
Games) was jam-packed with opportunities for audience participation: catchy
songs, little actions, the chance to help the mice solve their problems and
even swim in soup alongside their mousey friends.
The experience
was fully interactive for every child and the adults were provided with great
amusement from some of the hilarious comments made by the children. Like when
asked if they knew what a council is, one of the children wittingly replied
“East Renfrewshire is a council right?”. The story allowed the children to
think and learn without even being aware of it.
The
performance itself was exciting, simple and, frankly, full of fun. The actors
were full of enthusiasm. Each performer had incredible improvisation skills,
reacting and responding to everything the children said. The simplicity of the
performance made it accessible to children of all ages.
The story
was the perfect length and the children were transported to this imaginary
world, which becomes evident from just looking at their faces and listening to
their laughter. The children’s imagination was stretched and explored and the
imaginary wall usually found in a theatre performance was completely broken
down. They even had the chance to play with the amazing collection of props and
costumes on the stage. This is the perfect opportunity to introduce children to
theatre from a very early age and it is a fun family activity. I just can’t
wait to take my baby niece to her very first Family Storytime at Scottish Youth
Theatre!
*Sophie is a member of SYT's Young Reviewers group. A group of young people who study
theatre and they are passionate about performing arts for children and young
people. If you want to take part or to find out more, you can email
kyriakosv@scottishyouththeatre.org.
