Little Angel Theatre

Famous franchises aren’t just big business in Hollywood: they’re also the driving force behind much of London kids’ theatre. And source material doesn’t come much better known than We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, which is so ubiquitous that we got given at least three copies when my daughter was born. Written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, the original book is a rhythmic, repetitive romp for babies and toddlers. The version by Little Angel Theatre is quite a different beast, for a slightly older crowd of three-to-eight-year-olds, though the audience at my Saturday-morning rendition definitely tended towards the lower end of that scale. Four spirited puppeteer-actor-musicians animate a pint-sized family of five and their dog, giving all of them – from the dad to baby Bertie – distinct personalities and moments to shine, with DIY sound effects and plenty of funny bits. The puppets are by Lyndie Wright, one of the couple who founded the Little Angel Theatre in 1961, and the naturalism of their movements and interactions is seriously impressive – almost cinematic. Imaginative sets conjure an idyllic summer meadow, a rippling river, a field of mud, a wild forest and (as reality blurs into fantasy) a swirling, whirling snowstorm. The changing landscape is dotted with beautifully lifelike puppet animals. There are foot-stomping songs by London cabaret mainstay Barb Jungr, performed live by the cast, along with harmonic vocals. It all builds a gently magical...

Me... is back at Little Angel Theatre for Christmas 2025. This review is from its 2016 premiere. Islington puppet theatre the Little Angel is nothing less than an icon of north London childhood. Tucked away down a picturesque little alley where everything seems magically smaller than life, this place has been beguiling children with crowd-pleasing yet surprisingly avant-garde puppet shows since 1961. Its craft is precise, its tone is well-judged, and its shows are reliably charming, especially at Christmas. This year’s show for two-to-six-year olds, ‘Me…’, is a charmfest that’s unlikely to upset even the most lily-livered pre-schooler. Featuring a cute bundle of day-old penguin fluff and an icy antarctic environment shaped like a half pipe, it is simple, short and sweet. In a series of gymnastic scenes, baby penguin discovers that the sea is deep, the world is large, and she is small. And that’s about the size of it. A bunch of bloodthirsty six-year-olds complained about the lack of a baddie killer whale to amp up the drama. And they had a point: there’s not a lot of dramatic tension or much of a storyline. But it’s a lovely safe, empathetic first show for a little one. And the world that’s created by simple tactile scenery and deft puppetry is, as usual, beautifully crafted. The Little Angel is small, but its impact is big.