In the magical world of flitting butterflies, jumping eggs and giant swaying flowers, two lycra-clad puppeteers try their hardest to remain unseen and at service to their puppets; two enormous plump caterpillars.
Caterpillars is the story of the caterpillars’ failed attempts at aviation and beautification. Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, with nothing but their wits to cover up their escalating blunders, two appealingly hopeless clown puppeteers bring upbeat absurdity, slapstick silliness, and a good dose of reality to their hilarious and unpredictable antics.
I’m liking
There is something so amazing about physical theatre and the way that it has the power to captivate without using a single word. This was certainly the case with Caterpillars – a New Zealand / Finland co-production.
As with the best kinds of children’s theatre, this show made wonderful use of a small range of clever props to show the life cycle of the caterpillar. A highlight was the gorgeous caterpillar costumes (which some small audience members felt compelled to touch ;)).
Things that made me go hmmmm
At times, my almost-four year old found it tricky to follow some of this show and I needed to explain some of it to her so it may be better for slightly older children.
The conclusion
A lovely show with some wonderful moments of gentle humour. A great example of the way that physical theatre shows that a picture can show a thousand words.
