CHILDREN’S THEATRE MAGAZINE: REVIEW – Kylie Minogue to the rescue in Kid Carpet’s quest for snow

Reviewed by Harry Mottram
A Bristol Old Vic at Christmas production by Kid Carpet
Playing at the Lantern Room in Colston Hall until 7th January 2018
For ages 3-7

More children’s entertainer than actor or pop star – not my opinion – that’s the thoughts apparently of the Intelligent Fridge in Kid Carpet’s Snow Glow.

The show for children aged three to six and their carers is lively, noisy and immense fun for most of its 50 minute duration with some memorable moments of organised chaos. Audience members become so intoxicated with excitement that several tried to get on the stage and had to be held back by their parents and teachers.

Kid Carpet wants it to snow and has borrowed the Snow Globe from Gary Barlow for the show. Accompanied by Susie who appears as several characters, and with help from the Intelligent Fridge the Kid entertains with a series of random songs, jokes and sketches. At its best the show had the audience on their feet doing a Mexican Wave or dancing to the music. But without a true narrative there were places when the frenetic pace flagged and needed a story thread to maintain interest.

Staged on a blue and white set with just the fridge and a fir tree for props and with the audience on three sides the production relies on Kid’s charisma to carry it through to its snowy ending. And by and large it does. Susie appears as a cleaning lady, a footballer, a weather forecaster and even an arctic explorer which helped to expand the show into some quirky and eccentric moments of madness. But a madness that children understand and can identify with.

Kid Carpet’s programme notes chart his route into children’s theatre via punk rock and DIY low budget rock. His whole body language is straight from that world but his personality if one hundred percent children’s and entertainer – as the Intelligent Fridge reminds him.

With a near capacity audience packed into the Lantern Room at the Colston Hall.

The Bristol Old Vic production continues to January 7.

Harry Mottram

For more details and to book tickets visit http://www.bristololdvic.org.uk/snow-globe.html

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