The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Norwich Playhouse

Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 4 December 2012

This story was a bedtime favourite in our house when the children were young.

To see it brought to life on stage I took along my three-year old grand-daughter, Bethany, to join other children and adults in being totally captivated by a novel tale done with songs and music, lots of humour and some clever visual tricks.

The actors appeared at the outset to allay children’s fears. The daddy finally got off to work. The milkman and postman called before the tiger arrived at teatime and ate all the food and drank all the water from the taps.

Written and directed by children’s musical theatre master David Wood, this was a faithful representation of the book, but with the added skills and magic of a live performance.

The tiger himself was touching, never frightening, and when he had to leave, nobody of any age wanted him to go. It was wonderful, he had captured the heart of the little girl, Sophie, and the audience too.

It’s certainly encouraging that a new generation of theatre lovers is being fostered.