Fantastic Mr Fox

Directed by Steve Tiplady, designed by Peter O'Rourke, adapted by Sarah Woods, composed by Ben Glasstone. Roald Dahl's handsomest, cleverest, toughest hero leads dimwitted humans a merry foxtrot in this puppet adaptation. The uncomplicated formula - honourable animal cunning versus low-down and dirty human tactics - is worked out with playful dexterity under the direction of Steve Tiplady. With Peter O'Rourke's fascinating puzzle of a set depicting a slice of the countryside printed on to removable panels, the underground fox runs are efficiently conveyed. As Mr Fox and his cubs dig, sections are removed to show their progress. The animal characters are played by rod puppets , expressively manipulated by four puppeteer/performers. Other characters such as a drunken rat made with layers of rag and hessian, are denser, more substantial figures compared to the fleet and tricksy foxes. As events shift from underground to overground, stage to auditorium; suspense is heightened by Ben Glasstone's high-energy score which frequently flowers into the animals' witty and rousing protest songs. Age 4+.