In celebration of the 40th anniversary of David McKee’s affectionately remembered TV series, Mr Benn, Tall Stories has adapted the character’s “...extraordinary adventures of an ordinary man” to a stage version full of magic and music.
Mr Benn is a man in a suit and bowler hat who carries a briefcase and brolly and who catches the same train every day to go to work. He gets invited to a fancy dress party and chances upon a unique fancy dress shop where he finds he can enter the world of whatever character he dresses up as by just going through a special door. Every child’s dream!
To the sound of a drum roll, and with a set made up of wooden drawers and doors, we are introduced to three characters who are dressed not quite of this time, (shopkeeper (Tim Hibberd), number one (Owen Guerin) and number two (Anna Delchev ). They proceed to sing and dance in comic vaudevillian style setting the scene for the magic to begin.
We meet Mr Benn (Paul Curley) setting out from his house at 53 Festive Road (an improved version of Festing Road which was the actual address of David McKee when the series began) and heading for the 08.05 to his destination, Work. Imaginative sets become the train and English sit-com sound effects and music add to the metamorphosis.
The Three encourage Mr Benn to dress in turn as a chef, a frogman, a cowboy, a pirate, a spaceman and a magician, each time leaving him with a souvenir to let him recall his amazing adventure in his new roles.
The hour long show, with puppetry, magic and illusion, was slick and smooth with clever and subtle lyrics, which though understood by the adults may have been lost on some of the younger members of the audience who would focus on the visual.
Equally, the songs seemed a bit long for attention of the 4 year olds that were in the show’s starting age group. The most elaborate scene was the underwater one with a gorgeous mermaid tail appearing and an elaborate Elvis-as-sea-monster.
Again, some jokes and puns were clearly aimed at adults and, without being in any way rude, just tipped away enough from the child focus that more intimate performances give. None the less, the message that seemingly ordinary things can be extraordinary is a positive and life enhancing one, so applause to that.
Imaginate Festival run ended
UK tour continues till September 2011