Mr Popper’s Penguins at Waterside Arts : Theatre Review

After the success of Father Christmas at Waterside Arts last year, we knew this year’s Christmas production was going to be a must-see. We were therefore so excited to be invited down to the press night on Thursday to see Mr Popper’s Penguins.

We’ve watched the film starring Jim Carrey with the kids, which we all loved, so we were excited to see it brought to life in the theatre. The production is based on the book by Richard and Florence Atwater and adapted for the stage by Pins & Needles Productions.

As with the Christmas production last year, there were milk and cookies available for the children to tuck into as they watched the show (£2.50 to purchase).

The show tells us the story of Mr Popper, a painter and decorator, who dreams of adventure. He feels he stuck in his small town of Stillwater when what he really wants to be doing is exploring the Antarctic like his hero Admiral Drake. He spends his evenings listening to Drake’s adventures, dreaming of a different life. His life soon changes when one day a penguin arrives on his doorstop.

The unlikely friendship between Mr and Mrs Popper and their penguins is a heartwarming one. The penguins were brilliantly done. The puppets were well designs but it was the way they were handled that made them really come to life. The noises and the general cheekiness of the penguins had my children giggling away.

The small cast were all extremely talented and spoke with a variety of accents, as well as excelling in singing and puppeteering. The songs were catchy and sang really well. The kids particularly enjoyed the dancing like a penguin segment at the end!

The show was full of charm and was quite emotive at times, especially at the end. I love a story that encourages children to dream and dare to be different. My children are aged from 4 up to 11 and all three of them loved it.

The show lasted for approximately an hour which is the perfect length for a family production. I find my youngest in particular starts to get a bit restless when we watch longer shows but she sat entranced through Mr Popper’s Penguins.

Mr Popper’s Penguins is on at Waterside Arts until the 31st December and tickets start from £12.50. To find out more and book tickets, please check out the Waterside Arts website.

Disclaimer : I was offered complimentary tickets but as always views are my own.